CasaLoud Christmas
by Just4FunFiction
Summary: After the somewhat successful Thanksgiving, The Loud family are heading to the city to celebrate Christmas with the Casagrande's. Festive times are bound to ensue... but maybe something else can too...
1. Ch 1- Off To The City

**(A/N: hello, everyone! I'm back with another Loyd House fic, and yes- I'm doing a different ship this time, so apologies for my Jordacoln fans. Now, I know I said my next TLH fic would be whichever won the vote (which was Lincoln Gets Limber), but as soon as I saw the Thanksgiving episode, this idea came to my head, and I think it works better if I start now, with Christmas coming up. At the moment, my plan is to get this done over nine chapters (though it could go over), releasing chapters every three days (so that one chapter is released on Christmas Day). Once this is done, I'll finish my overdue (extremely, for some) requests, and then that will be my next big one.**

 **With that said, thank you for reading and enjoy!)**

* * *

In the small Michigan town of Royal Woods, it was Christmas Eve, and snow was gently falling down onto the streets below. Children were excited for what was to come the next day, while parents were both amused by their childrens' enthusiasm and tired from the flurry of preparations that they would be making, but everyone was feeling the holiday spirit, regardless of who they were.

In one particular house, dubbed 'the Loud House' by many for the residents' surname and nature, everyone was busy grabbing presents from under the tree and carrying them outside, all wearing their typical winter attire. In one of the rooms, the family's eleven-year-old sole son, Lincoln Loud, was finishing wrapping one last present, adding a silver ribbon to the gold-papered package and tying it in a bow.

"And… done!" He said proudly, before grabbing it and the other presents from his desk. As he prepared to leave, he looked at the viewers. "Oh, hey, guys! Happy holidays! Now, I know it's not surprising to hear how Loud my family is, especially given it's nearly Christmas, but this year, we're all especially excited. You see, after Thanksgiving, the Casagrande family and our family decided that we should spend Christmas together as well. Since we hosted Thanksgiving for them, they'll be hosting Christmas for us, and not only that but we're all going to be spending a couple of days there. Also, because there's so many people in their family, we made the agreement that we would each buy one present for three members of the opposite family. For instance, I bought gifts for CJ, Bobby and Ronnie Anne, while Lori bought gifts for each of the Santiago's." He opened the door and stepped onto the landing. "It's gonna be weird spending Christmas away from home, but it'll be cool to see Ronnie Anne and her family again. But, let me tell you- some of my family were NOT happy when we found out that we'd be opening the rest of our presents when we get back." He chuckled to himself. "I honestly thought Lola was going to turn into something like Godzilla when our parents told her."

"Lincoln!" He heard his father call. "We'll be leaving in five minutes! Do you have everything ready?"

"Yeah, dad!" He called back as he approached the stairs. Carefully, he began walking down the stairs, keeping an eye out for any loose sports equipment, tools or science equipment, as well as making sure Geo wasn't on the stairs again, but fortunately, Lincoln made it to the bottom without dropping his presents. After breathing a sigh of relief, he walked over to a brown van, the side painted with a picture of a wolf howling next to a mountain. Stood next to the open back doors was a burly man, wearing a purple checkered cap, gold nose ring, black leather jacket with white t-shirt, blue jeans held by a black belt with a gold buckle, and black boots. "Hey, Chunk."

"Hello, Lincoln," Chunk replied in his thick British accent, tipping his cap to the white-haired boy, "and merry Christmas to you, lad."

"You too, Chunk." He walked around to place the presents in his hands into the truck, then paused before keeping a hold of the present he had just finished wrapping with a bow. "Actually, I think I'll hold onto this one."

Chunk laughed loudly. "No worries, Link. It's looking pretty full in there, anyway."

Lynn Sr, wearing a blue coat over and woollen hat over his usual attire, walked up to the Brit. "Thanks again, Chunk, old chap!" He spoke using his fake British accent.

"No worries, Mr L. It's like I told Luna, I've got a gig up there, it's the least I could do."

"And we appreciate it. We know the way, so just stick close to us, alright?"

"Will do."

Lynn turned to his son. "Come on, Lincoln." Lincoln nodded before following his dad to Vanzilla. Since the vehicle was already full otherwise, he took the last available seat next to Lori, who was eagerly chatting away with Bobby on her mobile phone. While he didn't like that he had gotten the slanty seat, he wasn't too bothered by it. He fastened his seatbelt while his father got in the driver's seat and did the same. "Everyone fastened in?" Looking in the mirror, he saw all eleven kids nod in response, except for Lori who was distracted by her phone call. "Alright, let's go."

After turning the engine on, Lynn began to drive, with Chunk following closely behind. Throughout the drive, Lincoln sat there peacefully, staring out the window, zoning out his sisters' usual chaos, from Luna's singing and Luan's jokes to the twins' fighting and his parents' awful music tastes. It wasn't until Lori noticed his fingers drumming against the gold and silver parcel in his hands that his focus was broken.

"So, Lincoln," she spoke, having hung up with Bobby a minute before, "how come you wanted to bring that present into the van?"

"Huh?" After taking a second to realise what she said, he looked down at the gift and shrugged. "I dunno."

She knew he was lying, the smirk on her face telling him this. "Well, it must be pretty important if you kept a hold of it." She leaned in a little. "Is it for Ronnie Anne?"

As was the case for anything involving Lincoln and a girl, this caused all of his sisters to gain an immediate interest and stop whatever they were doing- even Leni, who was usually dazed by rides in Vanzilla, brought herself to full attention. This sudden amount of attention, naturally, caused Lincoln to feel uncomfortable. "Y-yeah, it is."

"Aww!" The ten girls all went at once, causing their brother to blush.

"That's, like, TOTES sweet of you, Lincoln!" Leni praised.

"I'm sure your girlfriend is gonna love it!" Lori assured.

Lincoln groaned with a frown. "How many times? She's NOT my girlfriend! We're just friends, that's it!"

"I dunno, bro," Luna teased in a sing-song voice, "looks like you might be giving the gift of love as well."

"Plus, no boy would put a bow on a gift unless it was for the girl he liked," Lola argued.

"Yeah, Lincoln, is she your 'bow'?" Luan joked, followed by her signature laugh. "Get it?"

A chorus of groans replied, as per usual. "A silver bow on a golden box, perhaps the key to her heart's locks," Lucy spoke, her poetic rhythm contrasting with her monotonous voice.

"Guys, I'm telling you, we're just friends, and that is that."

"Your necessity in repudiation suggests otherwise, and that you do indeed harbour ardour for the female latin homosapien," Lisa suggested, though her verbose choice of words caused everyone to look at her blankly. She sighed, then rephrased it to be more simple. "He's denying that he loves Ronnie Anne."

"Because I DON'T!" He pinched at the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Why is it so hard for you guys to accept that a boy and a girl can be friends and nothing else?"

"It's because it's you and Ronnie Anne, not some random kids." Lori put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't you remember how upset you were after she finally agreed to move in with the Casagrande's?"

He frowned. "Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean I love her. I just… missed her, you know?"

Lori smiled. "I know you did." She leaned over to give him a hug. "And you know we're just teasing you, right? Still, I'm sure she's going to love what you've got her."

He finally allowed himself a small smile. "Thanks, Lori."

"So, what did you get her?"

Lincoln scoffed. "Not a chance. I tell you guys, one of you is bound to let it slip," he explained, causing laughter throughout the car.

* * *

After a three-hour long journey, Vanzilla finally pulled up near the Bodega, the city streets also glistening with snow. People were out and about as per usual. After turning off the engine, Lynn turned to the kids. "Alright, we're here," he told his children. "Now, since Chunk needs to head to his show, we're going to take the presents up first, then come back for our luggage. I shouldn't have to remind you how to behave while staying with the Casagrande's, so let's all be on our best behaviour, okay?"

"OKAY!" They all responded, before getting out of the van. They approached Chunk's van, the burly man opening the back door so they could get to the presents inside. One by one, they stepped up to collect their own presents.

"Here you go, Luna," Chunk said to the rocker Loud, handing her a small gift wrapped in red paper. "A little something from me to you."

"Aww, Chunk," she cooed, smiling as she accepted it, "you didn't have to do that."

"Yeah, I know, but one of my gigs paid a little extra, so I got you something for being a friend."

"Well, thanks, dude." She reached into the van and pulled out a similar sized gift wrapped in purple paper. "This one's for you."

His eyes widened as he accepted it, reading the tag that said "to Chunk, from Luna", then looking back at he girl. "Blimey! Is this for real?"

"As real as it gets."

He chuckled, smiling happily. "You're too kind, Luna. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas."

After grabbing her gifts out of the van, she stepped to one side so Lincoln could grab his. He placed the present he held in the car on top of the other two, then lifted all three up. "Hey, Lincoln," he heard Chunk say to him, so he turned to face the Brit. "I hope the girl likes the gift you got for her."

Lincoln blushed. "H-how did you know it was for a girl?"

He smirked. "Just call it a hunch."

He winked, causing Lincoln to blush more. "Th-thanks…"

After everyone else had got their presents out of the van, Chunk closed the back doors and got in the driver seat. Leaning out through the open window, he smiled to the Loud family. "Merry Christmas, everyone!"

"Merry Christmas!" They all called out, waving as they saw the roadie drive away to his next destination.

"Alright, everyone, let's get inside before we start freezing!" Rita called out, leading her family towards the door.

* * *

Inside the Casagrande's apartment, everyone was getting things ready for the arrival of the Louds. Rosa was preparing food, CJ, Bobby, Carlino, Carlota, Maria And Hector were helping to decorate, Frida was taking photos, Carlos was reading off facts about the holidays, whilst Carlitos was playing with Lalo and Sergio was flying overhead. Their activities came to a sudden stop when they heard the doorbell ring.

"They're here!" Rosa called out, prompting everyone to gather in the hallway. Hector walked over to the radio and turned it on, tuning it so that it played some Christmas music. She brushed down her apron before opening the door, a big smile on her face. "Hello!"

Everyone began speaking over each other, greeting the respective family members as Rosa invited the Louds inside, shutting the door once they were all inside. "And hey! Happy Holidays, everyone!" Lynn spoke up.

"HAPPY HOLIDAYS!" They all called out.

"How was the trip here?" Hector asked.

"It was okay. Thanks again for having us."

"Nonsense," Rosa refuted. "You allowed us to join you for Thanksgiving, it is only fair that we return the favour."

"Hey, babe!" Bobby called out, pushing through the crowd so he could hug his girlfriend.

"Oh, Boo Boo Bear!" She cooed, handing her presents to Leni so she could hug her boyfriend. "It's so good to hold you right now."

"Same here, babe."

"So, where should we put the gifts?" Rita asked.

"We were just in the middle of decorating the tree," Frida explained, "but feel free to place them next to it."

"Can we help?" Lola and Lana both asked at the same time.

Frida chuckled. "Of course you can."

Everyone began chatting amongst each other as they made their way into the living room, the Louds making their way one by one to approach the tree and put down the presents down by the tree. As he did so, Lincoln looked around and noticed someone was missing.

"Hey, uh, where's Ronnie Anne?" He asked.

While his sisters all looked at each other with knowing looks, Carlota approached the white-haired boy. "She's in her room still," she told him, "I tried to get her to come out before you guys got here, but she chose to stay in. Maybe you can get her to come out."

There was something about her tone that he couldn't quite place- it was familiar, but he didn't fully recognise it. "Okay." He walked away, oblivious to the wink that Carlota shot to Lori. Since Ronnie Anne has shown him what her room was like when she first moved in, he had no trouble finding it, approaching the former closet and knocking on the door. "Ronnie Anne? It's me."

"Lincoln?!" She responded. She muttered something to herself, something he didn't hear, before adding, "Hey. Uh, happy holidays, I guess."

"Happy holidays. Uh, are you planning on coming out? Everyone's here, I'm sure Lori wouldn't mind seeing you. Plus, I've kind of been looking forward to seeing you again."

Had the door not been shut, he might have seen her blush. "… Dang it." She sighed heavily, ore unlocking the door. "Alright, but… don't laugh, okay?"

Lincoln looked confused as the door slowly opened. "Why would I… laugh…"


	2. Ch 2- Festive Look

**(A/N: hey guys. I'll credit who inspired my choice at the start of the next chapter, so see if you can guess whose art I'm referring to. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!)**

Lincoln stood there, silent and awestruck. Stood in front of him, Ronnie Anne was equally silent, blushing furiously as she tried to figure out what Lincoln was thinking. Rather than her typical attire, Ronnie Anne was wearing a red sweater, with a green stripe in the middle and darker green stripes above and below it, a green knee-high three-tiered skirt with each tier being white and red and the bottom, and green and white diagonally striped socks inside red slip-on dress shoes. What was most striking to Lincoln was her hair which, while usually in a ponytail, was falling down past her shoulders, waving with a couple of strands passing in front of each ear, perfectly framing her face, and a fully bloomed red flower, nestled above her left ear. He might have even noticed the light amount of makeup she was wearing, had it not been for the fact his brain all but shut down at the sight of her like this.

After a good moment, she had had enough of the silence, and turned around. "I knew it. I told Carlota that you'd think I look stupid, but she just wouldn't let me wear my normal clothes. All I wanted was to see you and hang out with you, maybe go to the arcade, without it being weird, but-"

"Ronnie Anne?" He finally spoke up. She turned around slowly, causing her hair to sway a little at the back. When they were finally face to face, she could see the timid smile on his red face as he rubbed the back of his arm. "I think you look amazing."

Her heart skipped a beat upon hearing those words, causing the corners of her lips to shyly curve upwards just a smidge. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah, you look… absolutely incredible."

"… thanks, Lame-O." They both had a chuckle over the familiar nickname, their faces red from blushing. "So, is everyone else in the living room?"

"Yeah. I think the twins are helping to decorate the tree."

"Better go and make sure they aren't causing trouble. You remember what happened between them at Thanksgiving."

"You're right about that. Come on."

So, the two of them went into the living room, where things were thankfully peaceful. No one was getting into a fight, no one was arguing. It really carried the holiday spirit.

Lori turned and saw Ronnie Anne, a big smile coming on her face. "Ronnie Anne!" She called out, alerting the others as she approached the Santiago girl. "There you are!"

"Sorry about that, Lor-eeh!" She felt herself pulled into a surprisingly powerful hug by the eldest Loud sister. Looking to Lincoln, he simply shrugged, so she patted Lori on the back. "Good to… see you… too…"

Lori released the hug, allowing Ronnie Anne to breathe normally again. Looking the girl up and down, the blonde smirked. "Now, why would you go and hide in your room when you look so beautiful like that?! I'm sure Lincoln absolutely 'loves' it!"

Both fifth-graders blushed, with Lincoln pulling at his collar. "Y-Yeah, she looks… very pretty."

Despite hearing him say it more descriptively before, this still caused Ronnie Anne's heart to skip a beat. "Yeah… well, I was just… freshening up."

"Sure you were. Now come on, the others are literally dying to see you."

"I hope not literally," she whispered to Lincoln, who simply laughed as the three of them rejoined everyone. For the next few minutes, everyone conversed amongst each other, catching up on their lives and talking about what they were hoping they would get for Christmas, until they heard the tapping of metal against glass. Turning to see who it was, they saw Rosa stood in the kitchen, tapping a spoon against a glass.

"Thank you," she said once she felt certain she had everyone's attention, "now. First of all, I would like to welcome the Loud family to our home. We are happy to have you hear, and look forward to celebrating Christmas together, especially now that Maria and her children are living with us." Everyone voiced their approval to her sentiments immediately. "Now, lunch will be ready in just a moment, so before I serve that, I would like to talk about what we have planned for today. On Christmas Eve, we typically go to a carol service at 7PM, which is right after dinner, and we hope you will join us."

"Well, that sounds like a great idea, doesn't it, kids?" Rita spoke, with the rest of the Louds either being quietly accepting or eager at the idea.

"Muy bueno! Now, after that, we always watch a Christmas movie on TV, but if any of you wish to go to bed early, we understand. As for the rest of the day, you are free to do what you like, but if you go out of the building, stay close by, be sure to be back by five at the latest, or call us in case you'll be late, and PLEASE make sure you are with someone who knows the city or at least have a map. I would hate it for someone to get lost on Christmas Eve."

"You all hear her, right, kids?" Lynn asked, his voice firm.

"Yes, dad," they responded.

"That's good."

"Thank you. Now, with that said, lunch is ready!"

* * *

About half an hour later, everyone was firmly full after one of Rosa's typically filling meals, with some of them on the verge of a food coma.

"Ugh," Lincoln groaned due to the displeasure, "how does she make so much?"

"You get used to it," Ronnie Anne said, though she would be lying if she didn't feel some discomfort. "Though, she does go overboard for special occasions."

Lincoln's eyes widened. "Wait, this is overboard?!"

She laughed at her friend's surprise. "Yeah." She looked up at the clock, which showed it was twenty-five past twelve. "Okay, so I said we'd meet up with the guys at the skate park at one. Is that cool with you?"

"Sure, just… give me a few minutes to let my stomach settle."

Rolling her eyes, she got up from the table. "I'm gonna grab my coat."

Whilst Ronnie Anne headed back to her bedroom, Rosa approached the white-haired boy. "Would you care for anymore, Lincoln?" She offered.

"No, thank you, Mrs Casagrande," he politely declined. "I'm absolutely stuffed."

"That is good to hear- that is the secret to growing big and strong. Plus, it's always a pleasure to hear you enjoy my cooking."

"Of course, you're a great cook."

"Not as good as your old man, though, right, Lincoln?" Lynn Sr asked.

Lincoln's initial response was to agree, but he didn't want to upset Rosa, so he quietly said, "Uh… it's a tie?" Everyone had a good laugh at the boy's answer, causing him to blush. "Anywho, I better get ready to head out."

"Going with Ronnie Anne?" Lori teased, followed by some squeals and kissy noises from his other sisters, Carlota and Carl, causing him to groan.

"Yeah, we're going to hang out with some of her friends."

Lori rolled her eyes. "Alright, have fun."

"Ooh, wait up!" Lynn Jr called, getting up from the table. "Man, I'm gonna need some good cardio to work off THAT meal."

"How come you're coming with us?" Lincoln asked.

"I need to find somewhere to do some sports stuff, then I'll leave you with your girlfriend."

He growled. "She's not my-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." She turned around when Ronnie Anne approached, donning a purple winter coat over her current attire. "Let's get going!"

As Lynn led the way, Ronnie Anne looked at Lincoln, who simply shrugged at her. She shrugged back, before turning to everyone still at the table. "We're heading out!"

Everyone said their goodbyes as the two fifth-graders followed after the athlete, shutting behind them. Leni quickly turned to Carlota. "Don't they just look TOTES adorable together?"

Carlota grinned. "Exactly! I told Ronnie Anne that he would LOVE that outfit on her, but she wouldn't believe me!"

"Well, I think it's, like, SO cute! Did you make it for her?"

"Actually, I bought it. I love fashion, but I'm no good at making clothes myself."

Leni's eyes seemed to light up. "Maybe we can make something together!"

"That would be GREAT! Though, I don't know if I have any material."

"Not a problem! If needs be, I can show you how to use old clothes to make new items!"

Both girls squealed excitedly as Carlota led Leni towards her room. Lynn Sr. watched on amusedly as the two families got along. "To think a month ago, we were throwing food at each other," he muttered to Rita.

"Yeah, it is amazing," she replied. "So, I take it you'll be working with Rosa to prepare food for tomorrow?"

"Yep, as soon as I've got our luggage out of the van. What about you? What'll you be doing?"

"I think I'll take the time to get to know Maria a bit better. After all, we've only met her a couple of times in person, and there won't be many better chances."

"Sounds like a good idea." He stretched as he stood up from the table. "Well, I think I'll head to Vanzilla and get our things.."

"Alright, honey." While he walked away, Rita turned to the nurse. "So, Maria, I was thinking we could get to know each other a bit better."

"That sounds lovely," Maria responded, "though I did agree to go with Frida so we could walk Carlitos around."

"Well, that sounds great! Actually, I could probably do with taking Lily for a walk while we're here." She turned to Frida. "You don't mind me and Lily joining you three, do you?"

"Nonsense, I think it's a great idea!" The artist responded, more than happily. "It'll be a great time!"

The three women all laughed a bit as they continued to talk amongst each other. While they did this, Lana and Lola were sat there, resting off the large meal before Lana felt a prodding at her feet. Curious, she looked under the table and saw a large, yellow dog, prodding her foot with her nose. Smiling, she reached under and petted the large dog.

"Hey there, buddy," Lana greeted, receiving a happy bark in response. She looked up from the dog. "Hey, who's the cool dog under the table?"

Hector heard this and looked under the table. "Lalo, get out from under there!" He ordered. The large dog whimpered a bit as he did what he was told, pushing his way past Lana's chair once she got up.

"Don't worry, boy, it's okay," Lana told him as she returned to petting his fur. His tail wagged happily, causing her to giggle. "You're a happy little guy, huh? Although, I guess you're not that little, huh?"

"He sure isn't. We've had that dog almost as long as CJ's been alive."

"Yep. I picked him out myself," CJ commented proudly.

"How well trained is he?"

"Watch this- Lalo, lie down!" Lana watched as the Mastiff followed the thirteen-year-old's command. "Roll over!" Once again, the large dog obeyed his owner's command. "Good boy!"

"Wow, he really IS well-trained!"

"CJ, don't forget to take Lalo out for a walk!" Carlos asked, getting up and walking away from the table while nose-deep in his book.

"Okay, dad!"

Lana's eyes widened and glistened hopefully as she leaned forward into the table. "OOH! OOH! CAN I COME TOO?"

"Sure! That sounds like fun!"

Lana squealed happily. "Thanks, CJ!" She turned to her twin, who had been silently observing the whole time. "Hey, Lola, you wanna come too?"

Lola simply scoffed, before responding, "no, thank you!"

Lana shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Whilst Lana followed CJ and Lalo, Lola noticed Carl was rolling his eyes at her. She glared at him. "What are you rolling your eyes at?"

"Uh, you?" He bluntly responded, before cupping his hands together. "Ooh, look at me! I'm a little princess who can't get her hands dirty!"

Lola scoffed again. "Don't you remember that I'm the one who kicked your butt at Thanksgiving?"

"Hey, I let you kick my butt! Lord knows Lori would hate it if I beat up a girl!"

Lola's eyes turned fiery. "I'd like to see you try!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah!"

Before they could go any further with their confrontation, Frida spoke up. "It's good to see you getting along!" She told them. "Carl, why don't you show Lola around the neighbourhood?"

His eyes went wide. "What?! But, Mami! What if my friends see me with her, it'll be so embarrassing!"

"Oh, please," Lola argued. "If anything, your friends will be jealous to see you walking next to me."

She gave a little hair flick for emphasis, though Carl was not impressed. "There is no way-"

"Carlino Casagrande," Frida warned, her tone firm and serious, "I will not ask you again. Do you hear me?"

Groaning, he conceded. "Fine," he replied, getting up from his chair. "Let's go."

Lola smugly grinned as she too got up from the table, following after the sulking six-year-old Casagrande. Looking back from them, Luna smirked at Luan. "How long before they start fighting each other?" She asked.

"I'll be surprised if they don't start the second they get outside," Luan wagered. "After all, Lola's always got to be 'fight'."

Luna rolled her eyes at the pun, ignoring the boisterous laughter. "Yeah, she may be Lola, but she's no showgirl." They both shared a laugh at this. "So, sis, Chunk told me he's actually got two gigs, and invited me to see him perform at a café. It's not far, just a quick ten-minute walk from here. Wanna come check him out?"

"Sounds great! Let's rock and roll!"

"Can I join you?" They both jumped, turning to see Lucy, who sat with an unamused expression (even though it looked the same as her usual expression). "Sigh. I've been sat here the whole time."

Luna chuckled nervously, scratching behind her head. "Sorry, dudette. But, yeah, you can come too. The more the merrier, right?"

"Thanks."

Whilst they continued talking, Bobby and Lori got up and walked into the hallway. Taking a quick peek back at their family members, they smiled to each other. "It's great that they're getting along this time," Bobby pointed out.

"Literally," she replied. "How long do you think it'll last?"

"Hopefully, for the next two days, though I'm sure there'll be an argument here and there."

"Knowing my sisters, most likely. Still, it should be peaceful enough for us to not have to worry about breaking up any fights."

"Good thing as well," he took her by surprise when he slipped his fingers in between hers, gently squeezing her hand, "because I was thinking I take you on a date. We haven't been on one in a while, and I want to show you somewhere that's pretty special to me here."

"Really?" He nodded, causing her to fawn over him. "Oh, Boo Boo Bear… that sounds so romantic, I love it."

"Anything for you, babe." He leaned in and pecked her lightly on the cheek. "I'll go grab my coat and we'll leave, okay?"

"Okay." As her boyfriend walked away, she sighed happily. 'To think, we were once worried being apart would make things worse for us… it's only made the moments where we're together all the more special.'


	3. Ch 3- Bonding

Chapter three- Bonding

 **(A/N: for those of you who guessed, the art I referenced was 'Overdressed' by CoyoteRom. I'm a big fan of their work, and I hope they are okay with me using their art for inspiration.**

 **Thanks again for reading, your support has been overwhelming as always, and enjoy!)**

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne raced down the street, per the daring suggestion of the athletic Loud sister who was already waiting for them by a signpost at the end. As the two eleven-year-olds finally caught up, slowing down to catch their breath, Lynn rolled her eyes. "Geez, about time!" She told them. "I could have run back home in the time it took you to catch me."

"That's- because you're- older," Lincoln said, pausing with every pant.

"Yeah, and- it's cold out," Ronnie Anne added, still tired but not as much as Lincoln. "You've probably- trained in- the cold."

"Eh, whatever. So, you know somewhere that I can shoot some hoops?"

"Uh, don't you need a-" Lynn pulled a basketball out from behind her back, catching the others by surprise. "Oh. Uh, yeah, head straight up ahead, then make a right. It's a couple blocks, but-"

"Cool. Later, lovebirds!"

"She's/he's not my girlfriend/boyfriend!" They yelled at the same time, even though their shouts were ignored. They turned to each other. "We're never going to get them to realise that, are we?" he asked her.

"Probably not for a few years, and even that'll be if we're lucky," she replied. "So, my friends said to meet by the skate park. It cool if we walk the rest of the way and not run?"

"I think it's better if we walk."

So, they walked at a leisurely pace down the snow-capped streets, talking to each other like they did before she moved to the city, or like they did in their video calls. Although neither of them admitted, they appreciated the fact that they were able to be face-to-face in person again. It made them feel more relaxed, especially for Lincoln, given he wasn't celebrating Christmas at home this year.

It wasn't long before they reached the skate park and saw Ronnie Anne's three friends- Nikki, Casey and Sameer- all waiting by one of the ramps. The shorter of the two boys was in a black puffer coat, with his large brown head of hair sticking out of the hood, whilst the other boy was wearing a red winter jacket, but still chose to wear his black and white baseball cap. As for Nikki, she was surprisingly wearing the same attire she wore when Lincoln first met her, and was seemingly unbothered by the cold.

Sameer was the first to notice the Loud boy and Santiago girl approach them. "About time!" He called out, alerting the other two to their arrival.

"What took you, Santiago?" Casey asked, causing Ronnie Anne to roll her eyes.

"Shut up, Casey, it's not like you've never been the last to show up," she quipped back at him, instantly silencing him.

"So, Ronnie, what's with the flower?" Nikki asked, smirking as she nodded towards Lincoln. "Something special for your boyfriend?"

"She's/he's not my girlfriend/boyfriend!" Lincoln and Ronnie Anne both argued, feeling a sense of deja vu.

"Besides, it was Carlota's idea for me to wear this," Ronnie Anne then explained, "said it'd go with the outfit or something." She then realised what Nikki's attire was and went wide-eyed. "And who are you to say anything about clothes? How are you not freezing?!"

She simply shrugged. "I'm used to it." The others looked at each other, no one knowing how to respond. "Anyway, why are we still stood here? The arcade's not far, so let's go."

* * *

Not too far away, Lynn was running drills by herself at a local basketball court. The thick layering of snow added an extra level of difficulty, which was something Lynn relished in- while she would usually be practicing ice hockey this time of year, she was more than willing to use this situation to her advantage.

"And, Lynn runs down court!" She commentated, dribbling the ball through the snow. "She reaches the two-point zone, enters the paint and…" Tossing the ball up with a leap, she watched as it sank effortlessly through the net, bouncing gently in the snow. "SCORES! ANOTHER 2 POINTS IN THE PAINT!"

She began celebrating as she usually did, unaware of a group of older men approaching the court, mostly wearing puffer jackets and jeans. One of them, a man wearing a black beanie with black jacket, blue jeans, grey sneakers and holding a basketball under his arm, scoffed. "Is this girl for real?" He asked the others, who started chuckling. They entered the court, and Lynn still hadn't noticed them. "Hey, girly! Get off the court!"

Lynn heard this, so she finally turned in their direction. "You talking to me?" She asked.

"Uh, yeah! We need the court, so beat it!"

"Uh, I don't think so. I was here first, so I'm going nowhere, bub."

He scoffed again before walking up to the Loud girl, bending forward to look her in the eyes with a cocky look she instantly hated. "Listen, girly. There's six of us, and we want to use THIS court, so why don't you take your ball, walk on home and leave basketball to the big boys."

Lynn responded by slapping the ball out of his arm. He watched as it bounced away, before looking back at the girl, who had her own cocky grin. "Make me."

His group were all in awe of the gusto the thirteen-year-old showed. He looked back upon hearing them all go "OOH!", silencing them straight away. He turned back with a serious expression. "Alright, girly. You wanna play with the big boys? Here's the deal- you and me, one on one. First to three wins. You win, you stay. We win, you leave. Got it?"

"Sounds easy enough. You're on. Oh, and it's Lynn, not girly. You got it?"

He scoffed. "Whatever."

Lynn rolled her eyes, before turning to one of the other men, a tall guy in a purple beanie, and threw the ball in his direction. "You can handle the tip off." He shrugged, before walking to the centre of the court, where Lynn was staring off with the other man. The guy in the purple beanie, wasted no time in throwing the ball in the air. Lynn, being the shorter of the two, didn't even try to jump, simply allowing the guy in the black beanie to catch the ball. He started dribbling up court, with Lynn doing her best to distract him. As he reached the edge of the inner circle, he took the shot, and though Lynn couldn't block it, she was able to leap up and catch the rebound, then bounce it through his legs before running past to grab the ball, turn around and make the basket with ease. "Oh, yeah! That's one!"

While his friends either laughed or clapped, he simply grunted. "Lucky shot," he replied as she bounced the ball to him. He started dribbling and waited until she tried to make the steal before he pressed down against his head, using his height to his advantage. Expecting her to try and swipe at the ball, his body jerked in surprise when she instead ducked to the side, his stumble allowing her to grab the ball and make another basket while he was still realising what had happened. Looking over at her, she smugly grinned while twirling the ball on her finger. "Oh, it's on now!" He yelled.

"Bring it!" She dared, throwing the ball back to him. He caught it and instantly charged forward, only for Lynn to steal the ball when he went for the shot. She dribbled past him, but he didn't let up, chasing after her. He tried to make the steal, only for her to spin around him and shoot, the ball rolling around the rim before falling through the net with ease. Lynn pumped her fist in the air. "Oh yeah! Lynner, Lynner, chicken dinner!"

As she continued to celebrate, the guy just looked at his friends in disbelief. "How the hell could she pull that off?!" He asked, to which they shrugged, shook the head or just stood there in silence.

"Ahem." They turned around, seeing Lynn stand there with the ball in her hand. "Since I won, who else wants a shot at me?"

* * *

In a different part of the city, Maria, Frida and Rita were happily walking together, the latter two of the three pushing Carlitos and Lily in their strollers. The snow had stopped falling for the time being, but it hadn't interrupted their friendly chatter.

"And now, it's been twenty years that we've been married," Rita concluded.

"It sounds like you two were really made for each other," Frida commented. "If you can go that long and raise as big a family as you have, then you truly have something special."

"Thank you, Frida. So, what about you and Carlos? How did you get together?"

"Well, me and Carlos were college sweethearts. He was a history major and I was an art major, but we met during our art history elective in our sophomore year. We sat next to each other in every lecture, and from there we started meeting up to do studies, though we didn't get much done because we were having too much fun together. After the elective was over, I didn't want to stop seeing him, so I asked him out. He said yes, we moved in together after we both graduated, and we were married two years later."

Maria chuckled. "That's the light version, at least," she quipped.

Frida rolled her eyes. "Yes, there were a couple of rough spots, but we took our time and everything worked out. Despite his busy teaching schedule and his fascination in anything academic, he is still very sweet, and can be very romantic if he wants to be."

"Frida, I'm joking you. I know you and Carlos are very happy together." She then frowned. "Happier than my marriage turned out, at least."

Frida frowned, knowing what she was referring to, whilst Rita just looked a bit concerned. "Were you not happy with your husband, Maria?"

"No, no, no, we were happy at first. Like my sister-in-law here, I met Frank at college, we moved in together before getting married and started a family together." Her frown deepened as she continued. "But, whilst I was expecting Ronnie Anne, he told me his job would relocate him to New York. I was too far along in my pregnancy to make that kind of travel, but he wouldn't let his job go. We fought for weeks, before deciding it would be best if we got divorced." Though there were no tears shed, all three women felt a sadness at this story. "I used to hear from him every so often, maybe once a month, but… now…"

Rita gave a soft smile. "I'm sorry to hear that, Maria," she offered. "Marriage isn't easy, and sometimes it doesn't work out. Heck, there were a couple of times when me and Lynn split from each other. But the way I see it, you got the better end of things."

Frida's frown became a smile, as she turned to Maria who was slightly confused. "She's right," she told her sister. "Though Frank may have got the job he wanted, you got your two beautiful children."

Maria finally smiled again at hearing that. "You're right. Thanks, you two. I appreciate this- it's nice to have some girl talk."

Both Frida and Rita voiced their agreement. "Now, since you're both here, I have to ask," Frida said next, "I know we like to tease them, but do you two think Ronnie Anne and Lincoln are actually together?" Rita and Maria looked at each other, before laughing as they continued on their walk.

* * *

Not far from them at a nearby park, CJ was walking while holding onto Lalo's leash, whilst Lana was riding atop of the mastiff. "Gotta say, I've never been able to ride a dog before," the grease monkey stated. "This is probably one of the coolest things I've ever done."

"It is fun," CJ replied. "I remember when I used to do ride on Lalo when I was younger. I'm too big for that now, but me and Lalo still have a lot of fun."

Lana looked over at the seventh-grader. "You and Lalo are really close, huh?"

"Yep. He's my best friend, always has been."

"I know what you mean. I have a pet frog called Hops, and he's my best friend too."

"How long have you had Hops?"

"About a couple years. See, I don't have a lot of friends at school because I'm not girly enough for most of the girls to like me, yet most of the boys don't wanna hang around me either. For a while, I only ever hung out with Lola. Then, one day, I found him in a pond. I played with him for a while and was gonna head home, but he looked lonely, so I decided to keep him. I still don't have a lot of friends, but as long as I have Hops, I'll be okay."

CJ was silent for a moment before he spoke again. "Lana… do you ever get lonely?"

She tilted her head at the boy. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just that… I don't have any other friends. I think most of the other kids find me weird. Most of the time, I don't mind it, and I'll just play with Lalo or my family, but… sometimes I think it would be nice."

Lana didn't answer straight away, surprised by CJ's confession. She mulled over how to respond to that in her head, before stepping off of the mastiff. "CJ," she told him, "you're not weird. You're just different, and that's what makes you you. If they don't want to be friends with you, then that's their problem."

"You mean it?"

She nodded. "And, hey. I know I'm not as old as you, but I'd like to be your friend."

CJ's smile grew at hearing that. "Really?"

"Yeah, you're a cool guy." She extended her hand to him. "Friends?"

He nodded, shaking her hand. "Friends." Lalo let out a cheerful "woof" as he placed a paw on their hands, causing them both to laugh happily.


	4. Ch 4- More Bonding

Unlike his brother, Carl wasn't having much fun showing Lola around. Usually at Christmas, he preferred to just stay at home, try and sneak Christmas cookies from his abuela, and think about what he would be getting in his stocking. This, however, was the last thing he would have wanted.

Lola, on the other hand, was enjoying herself. Since most people at this time were with their families, the streets were mostly empty, so she was able to enjoy walking down the quiet, snowy streets. "Now, THIS I could get used to!" she exclaimed.

Carl rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth. "You've already said that," he growled. "Ten times."

She scoffed. "What's YOUR problem?"

He sharply turned around. "My problem is YOU! Right now, I should be back at the house, tasting abuela's Christmas cookies, but no! I have to be your tour guide!"

She tutted, placing a hand on her hip. "Well, excuse me, but first of all, I didn't ask to do this. It wasn't even my idea to come out here!"

He folded his arms together. "Yeah, well, you sure seemed happy to be out here."

"Uh, hello? This city is amazing!" She spun around as she looked at the different buildings you could see. "There are stores and places here I've never even seen before, and would KILL to be able to go to! Sure, Royal Woods has SOME nice stores, and SOME cool places, but none of them even COMPARE to what the city has!"

He scoffed, turning around and beginning to walk, which prompted her to follow. "The city's not that great," he told her bluntly, "you live here for even a week and you would realise it."

"So, what, there's just NOWHERE you enjoy?"

"It's not that, but when you're six years old, most of the places are so lame, and most of the ones that aren't are always taken by people are older than you, whether you were there first or not. And it's not like it's a small city, either- this city gets WAY too busy at times. Sure, it's quiet now, but that's because it's Christmas. In a couple of weeks, these streets will be as hectic as usual."

She was silent for a moment- something her family would've told Carl was rare- noticing the frown on his face. "… So, do you not like living here?"

"No, I do. I just don't like being treated like a kid here. I get that I am a kid, but… sometimes

I just can't wait to grow up." When she didn't respond to this, he sighed. "Come on, let's go back to the house. It won't be long before mom try's to-"

"Hey, Carl! Is that you?" The boy in the red hoodie flinched, before turning to see some kids his age- mostly latin, but a couple of them were white- walking towards them. "What, did mommy finally let you out of the house?" While the group of kids laughed, the one that said that- a Mexican boy in a purple coat and black beanie- saw Lola. "Aww, look at that! Did mommy hire her to look after you?"

Lola looked at Carl, noticing him visually tensed, then walked up to the Mexican boy. "What's your name?" She asked.

He blinked. "Uh, Jake?" He replied.

"Alright, Jake, listen here," her voice began to rise, "if you think that by saying some cheap words that you're better than him, then you're wrong! I know for a FACT that Carl can handle himself better than you, the weakling who needs a whole group of people to do things he's too scared to do!"

Jake's friends all laughed at the insults he was receiving. "Now, listen here, Princess. Why don't you run on home and play with your dollies before you scratch a nail?"

There wasn't even a pause before she growled as she tackled him to the ground, holding his head against the concrete. "Okay, bub, that's it! I tried playing nice, but you didn't want that, so I'm gonna give you one last chance- walk away now, or I turn you into a human pretzel! You got it?!"

Gulping, He meekly responded, "y-y-yeah…"

"Now tell him you're sorry!"

He looked over at the Casagrande boy, who was in shock at what he saw. "I-I'm sorry, man!"

"Alright, now beat it!" She let him go and he quickly scarpered away, much to the amusement and embarrassment of his friends. Lola dusted her hands together, before turning back to Carl. "So, are we heading back to the house still, or do you think you could show me around some more?"

He blinked, before laughing. "You've got guts, Lola, I'll give you that," he confessed. "Sure, why not? We've got time." She smiled as they crossed over the road. "But, seriously, what is it with your family and turning people into pretzels?"

* * *

Not too far from them at a local café, Luna, Luan and Lucy were waiting in line. The place was quiet, but hardly empty, and was rather quaint in its design. As they reached the front of the queue, the cashier- a somewhat depressed looking twenty-something man with brown hair, wearing brown antlers as well as his uniform- looked at Luna. "Hey, what can I get for you?" He asked, not even trying to sound happy.

"I'll take a cinnamon cappuccino," Luna ordered.

"Hot chocolate for me," Luan said next. The

The cashier rolled his eyes as he typed in the order, before looking at the goth. "And you?"

"I'll have a mocha," she replied, much to the surprise of her sisters. She noticed this, and simply explained, "my poetry group often convenes at Haiku's mother's café."

Luna and Luan looked at each other before shrugging. The rocker paid for their order, and joined her sisters at a table once their order was ready. As she took a sip of her cappuccino, she sighed happily. "Now that's the ticket."

"Well, don't drink it too fast or it'll be a speeding ticket!" Luan joked, following it up with her typical laugh. "Get it?" Both her older and younger sister groaned in response. Luan smiled anyway as she looked around. "I'll admit, it's quite a nice café."

"Yeah, the joint's pretty cheery," Luna replied. "Definitely got the holiday spirit, even if the staff don't."

"It's nice," was all Lucy said. Taking a drink of her mocha, she looked over at the café's stage, where she saw Chunk and his band setting up for their performance. "Isn't than Chunk?"

Luna's eyes followed her gothic sister's gaze and she smiled. "Yep! Be right back, guys." She got up and sauntered over to the band. "Yo, Chunk!"

The burly man looked up and smiled. "Ey up, Luna!" He greeted, tipping his hat to her. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be chilling with the family and what not!"

"Yeah, well, the CasaG's gave us some free time before dinner, so I thought I'd come down and support you." She pointed her thumb over her shoulder to her table. "Brought a couple of my sibs with me, hope that's cool."

"Yeah, the more, the merrier!" He gave a wave to the girls, who waved back- Luan giving maximum effort, while Lucy pretty much just raised her hand a little. "So, what's the plan for you and the family?"

Luna's smile dropped a bit, her hand subconsciously reaching to rub behind her other elbow. "Well, I think we're going to a carol service."

The roadie spotted the change in mood straight away. "And what's so bad about that? I thought that'd be right up your alley."

"Well, I don't mind the carols, but… it's everything else I'm worried about."

Chunk was confused for a few seconds as he tried to put two and two together, but then he remembered one thing- Luna was bisexual. It had actually been Chunk who helped her to realise that about herself, as after one concert where her friend Sam was in the crowd, he noticed the rocker Loud feeling strange afterwards. Once she had explained to him how she knew Sam and what she felt, he talked her through it and made her realise who she was. He knew she wasn't still openly admitted about this, but he was more than supportive about it.

Putting down the tool in his hand, he put a hand on her shoulder. "Luna… if you're worried about going to a church just because you're bi, then don't be."

Her slight blush told him that he had hit the bullseye. "I can't help it. What if they won't let me in, because they ask me and I tell them the truth, or they think I'm some kind of devil and try to 'cleanse' me, or-or what if-"

"Luna." She shut up and looked back at the roadie, who had always been like a mentor for her. "They won't do that. If we're all God's kids, but a church is unwilling to let someone in, let alone on Christmas Eve, then it's being run by the wrong vicar. Trust me, you'll be fine."

She gave a small laugh. "You make it sound so simple."

He gave a small laugh of his own. "That's cos it is."

She looked back, noticing the warm yet serious look in his eye, and threw her arms around him, a motion which was returned. "Thanks, Chunk."

"No worries, luv."

* * *

Back at the Casagrande home, Carlos was still nose deep in his book, saying things like "fascinating" or reciting the facts as he read. Walking into the living room, he was about to sit down on the couch until he heard an "ahem". Standing up straight and turning around, he realised he was about to sit on Lisa, who was reading a book of her own. "Oh! My apologies, Lisa," he told the four-year-old. "I wasn't paying attention."

She simply raised a hand up. "No need," she replied, "it is understandable."

"Okay, then." He took a seat on the other couch, and was going to continue reading, but decided to do something else. "Might I ask what has caught your interest?"

Lowering the book, she looked over at the professor. "I assume you are referring to the book I am reading, which is the latest volume of the American Journal of Physics. I am merely perusing to see what the latest theorems and discoveries are, so as to discern whether or not it could impact my own studies."

"I see. And have there been any that match said description?"

"None so far, but I am quite a ways off from the end yet, so I must keep open to that possibility." She continued reading for a second, before closing the book. "If my memory serves me right, you are a college professor, correct?"

"Correct. I teach history, though I do also find biology rather fascinating."

"Interesting. I myself am less fond of biology as to other sciences, but do have interest here and there."

"I take it by your choice in reading material you are more interested in physics?"

"Actually, I would argue my specialty is in chemistry, though I do need physics as a foundation for certain areas."

"I see. I hope you don't mind me asking this, and I'm sure you've heard it before, but do you ever wonder why you are so smart?"

She removed her glasses to wipe them clean. "Based on your profession, I assume you don't refer to the actual scientific explanation, and rather are asking why I believe I am this way." Putting her glasses back on, she sighed. "Sometimes, yes. My intelligence is a gift, but as the idiom goes, it can also be a curse. I don't mind being smarter than my siblings, and I certainly can't take my Nobel prizes for granted," she paused briefly at seeing his shocked face. "I get that a lot. Yet, at the same time, there are moments where I wonder if science is to be my only pursuit in life. Will my work become my everything, or will I be able to balance out other aspects of my life? And if science DOESN'T become my everything, will my affinity for it decline?" She turned to Carlos. "Might I ask if you have ever had these queries?"

"I have, and there are times where I get lost in these thoughts, but sometimes these thoughts allow me to become something more. And as for whether or not your affinity for science would decline if you broadened your lifestyle, I would suggest there is no correlation there. If your affinity declines, that shouldn't stop you from allowing your life to continue."

She gave a small smile. "Thank you, Carlos. Your comments are rather soothing for my worries."

"Not at all. I have to deal with it a lot, doing my job."

"I here that." She returned to reading her book, this time not noticing the surprised expression on Carlos' face, before he shrugged and went back to his own book.

* * *

Inside one of the bedrooms, Leni was working hard at showing Carlota how to sew one of the dresses. "And if you sew it like that, you can come up with a totes adorbs design."

"Wow, Leni! You really know a lot about making fashion, huh?" Carlota replied.

"Well, it's my passion. If I had one dream, it would be to create fashion for a living."

"I wish I could do that." Leni watched as the Casagrande girl started to sew. "I love fashion, but my skills when it comes to making it aren't great. I can pick out two items of clothing that are perfect together easy, but I'm not great with fabrics." As if fated, this was illustrated when she accidentally ripped part of the dress, causing her to groan. "See?"

"Don't worry, I can fix that," Leni assured, motioning for Carlota to hand her the needle. She began to repair the dress. "So, even if you can't make fashion, you can still DO fashion. I mean, you could help come up with the concepts or a designer, or you could be a writer for, like, a magazine or a blog. You could even be a retail buyer if you tried."

Carlota smiled, looking hopeful. "You think so?"

Leni turned around, flashing a happy smile. "Totes! You have SUCH great fashion sense, you'd be amazing!"

"Wow… Thanks, Leni. Still, I'm pretty envious of how great you are at fashion."

"Aww, that's so sweet of you to say." Her smile faltered a little. "Still, I appreciate that I'm good at something." She turned around to continue working. "See, I'm not what you'd call smart. I mean, my grades are okay, but a lot of the time, I don't get what people are talking about, and things will just go over my head. Everyone knows it, and I get that as well, but I sometimes feel like an idiot because of it."

Carlota frowned, putting a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Leni, you're not an idiot. Some people are just like that."

She sighed. "Yeah… but I wish I wasn't. All I really know how to do are fashion and woodworking."

"Leni, I'm sure your siblings don't- Wait, woodworking?"

"Yeah. I'm not too sure how, either."

"Huh." She shook her head lightly. "Anyway, I'm sure your family don't think that about you, and you shouldn't think that about yourself either. Trust me, I know what it's like to feel like I'm not up to the expectations of others. My parents both have university degrees, so I want to be able to do the same, so I can make them proud, and sometimes I wonder if I can do that, but no matter what, they'll always love me. So as long as you work on what you are good at, that other stuff won't matter."

Leni smiled warmly after hearing that. "Thank you, Carlota!" She put down the needle so she could hug the latina. "I'm glad we're able to do this- it's like we're sisters."

"Yeah, it is. Though, it probably won't be long before we're family for real."

Leni leaned out of the hug. "I know, right? Bobby and Lori are, like, SO made for each other."

"They are, aren't they? How long do you think it'll be before they get married?"

"I'd say three years."

"Really? I think it'll be five. I bet he'll pop the question at graduation." Both girls sighed at the thought of how romantic it would be, before returning to work on their Christmas dresses.


	5. Ch 5- Back In Time For Dinner

Back to the city, and Lori was currently blindfolded, the blonde patiently putting her trust in Bobby as he guided her. She had no idea where she was being taken or what Bobby had in store for them- the only hint she received was when she suddenly felt a bit colder. "Bobby, don't keep me in suspense!" She told her boyfriend.

"Easy, babe," he replied, guiding her by the hand. "We're nearly there. Just a little more walking." Although she was beginning to get impatient, she held strong for another minute, before Bobby brought her to a stop. "Okay, and… we're here!" He stood behind her and grabbed hold of her blindfold. "One… two… three." Lifting up the blindfold, he allowed Lori to open her eyes, and when she did, her jaw dropped in awe, letting out a huge gasp. Right before her eyes was an ice skating rink, centred in the middle of the city's park. The ice was glistening, having just been zamboni'd, and was completely empty. There were Christmas lights hung and lit around the edge of the rink, giving it an almost magical glow. Turning to Bobby, she saw the gentle smile on his face. "So, what do you think, babe?"

"Bobby… this is incredible! How did you find this place?"

"Well, you know how I used to work five different jobs back at Royal Woods? When I started working at the bodega, I started to miss that variety, so I asked abuelo if I could look for a second job. He didn't want to at first, something about disloyalty, but abuela convinced him to let me do this. And sure, the pay isn't great, but they let me hire out the rink once a month if I want to, and they taught me how to use the ice resurfacer, which is awesome! But most of all," he gently took her hands in his own, "whenever I see two people here on a date, it always makes me think of you and what we have together."

Her heart melted at hearing this, causing her to practically fall into his arms. "Oh, Bobby… this is so romantic, I love it!"

"I'm glad, babe. Now, we only have it to ourselves for an hour, so what's say we hit the ice?"

"That sounds perfect."

"Then, follow me." He led her into the shack-like building next to the rink, where there was a brown-haired girl on her phone at the counter. "Hey, Sandy!" She looked up at hearing this and smiled, putting her phone away as the couple approached her. "Lori, this is my co-worker, Sandy. Sandy, this is my girlfriend Lori."

"It's nice to meet you at last," Sandy greeted. "Bobby's been talking about you ever since he started the job. We were starting to wonder when he'd finally bring you here."

"Well, my family are celebrating Christmas with Bobby's family this year."

"Aww, that sounds awesome! Hope you guys have fun while you're in the city!" She ducked down below the counter and pulled out two pairs of ice skates, handing them to the couple. "Here you go, guys! You have the rink for one hour!"

"Thanks, Sandy!" Bobby told her, the brunette nodding before walking away, leaving Bobby to turn to Lori. "So, you excited?"

"Very!" She responded. As she looked at the skates in her hand, her smile grew. "You even remembered my shoe size!"

"Of course. Now, I'm not great at skating, but how about I teach you a bit of what I know?"

"Ooh, Bobby…" she giggled, causing him to blush. "I'd love to."

He smiled, leading her back outside towards the rink. After fastening their skates on, Bobby helped Lori onto the ice, and due to her lack of experience, she struggled to maintain her balance straight away, eventually taking a tumble. Fortunately, Bobby was there to catch her. Looking up, she saw him gently smiling down at her. "You okay?"

Her cheeks heating from the mild embarrassment, Lori nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay."

He helped her to her feet, then put a hand to his chin as he thought about how he could help her. "Maybe… ah! I've got it!" Before Lori could understand what he meant, she was surprised to feel Bobby wrap his arms around her waist. "How about I hold on to help you balance until you get used to it?"

Although it was surprising, she quickly warmed to the idea, her blush growing deeper. "That sounds… alright."

* * *

Having played games at the arcade for close to a couple of hours, Lincoln, Ronnie Anne and her friends were all but worn out, having played pretty much the entirety of what the arcade had to offer. As they sat at a table, chatting and laughing amongst each other, Nikki glanced at her phone.

"Woah!" She exclaimed, getting everyone's attention. "Didn't realise it was that time already! I better get back before my mom wonders where I'm at."

She showed the others the time, and they had similar reactions. "Oh, damn, my dad's gonna kill me if I don't get back soon," Sameer told the others.

"Same here," Casey replied.

"Yeah, we'll need to get going before abuela wonders where we were," Ronnie Anne told the white-haired boy. "Plus, who knows what your sisters will say if we're the last two back?"

Lincoln chuckled. "Yeah, you're probably right," he responded.

"Well," Nikki said as she got up, "it's been real, guys. Lincoln, it's been great seeing you again."

"Yeah, hope you come down here again some time!" Sameer added.

"Same here, guys," Lincoln replied, his smile impossible to hide. "It's been awesome."

"Alright, we're heading on home," Casey said, putting his coat on. "Happy holidays, guys!"

Everyone said their goodbyes as they left, leaving just the Loud and the Santiago, the former turning to the girl. "So, you ready to go?"

"Actually," she said with a coy smile, "there's one last game I thought we could play."

Curious, he followed her as she led him towards the far back of the arcade, and once he caught sight of a particular machine, he gasped. "No way! Dance battle?!" She nodded to him. "How come you didn't show me this earlier?"

"Well…" she scratched behind her neck. "The other guys don't really play that game, so I always played it when they weren't around. I don't think they even know I like it." A light blush formed on her cheeks. "Plus, with how everyone says we're… well, y'know… I didn't want to give them another reason to mock us."

Lincoln frowned for a second, taking in what she had said and how downbeat she sounded, before looking her in the eyes with a soft smile, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it," he told her, "it's just us here now. Don't worry about what they'll think."

Her mouth parted slightly, surprised at how simple he made it sound, before smiling back. "Thanks, Lincoln."

"No problem. Besides," he smirked at her, "it sounds like you're a bit rusty."

She scoffed, smirking back at him. "Oh, I see. All of a sudden, you think you can beat me, huh, Lame-O?"

"Never stopped me from doing so before."

"Oh, that's it! Get your butt on that machine, now!" He rolled his eyes but still obliged, with Ronnie Anne getting on the opposite machine. After each inserting a quarter, the song selection came up. "You're the guest, I'll let you pick."

"You'll regret that," he taunted, receiving a "pfft" in response. Looking at the selection songs, he ended up picking a SMOOCH song, one of his favourites, before looking back at the Santiago girl. "Ready?"

"Ready to kick your butt, you mean."

They both laughed, before turning back to the screen once the song began to play. As the arrows began to descend down the screen the two of them began to match the movements, placing their feet on the corresponding arrows beneath them, almost in sync. Occasionally, they would look at each other, their smiles competitive yet warm, both of them feeling a familiarity to the situation. They didn't even pay attention to the scores they were getting- all that mattered is that they were able to do this like they used to.

As the song's final chord died down, digital applause could be heard from the game whilst the two fifth graders panted out of exhaustion, since it was one of the hardest songs in the game. When they finally looked up at the screen, their eyes practically shot out of their heads.

"A TIE?!" They both exclaimed, seeing they both had 1,274,560 points, then looked at each other.

"How is that possible?!" Lincoln asked.

"Got me!" She replied. "So, what do we do? Tie breaker?"

Lincoln thought about it for a second, then smirked. "Since it's the holidays, I'll spare you from an ass whooping."

She laughed dryly. "Thank you, oh generous one. But yeah, I'm cool with a draw. Besides, we'll be cutting it close if we don't leave now."

"You're right, let's go."

They both walked back to the front of the arcade, collecting their coats, though before they could leave, they heard someone call out.

"Hey, guys!" They both froze, slowly turning around to see Nikki, her arms crossed and a cocky grin on her face. "Guess you chose to have one more game, huh?"

Ronnie Anne gulped, both of their faces heating up rapidly. "Uh, you see," the Santiago girl, stuttered, "it was, uh…"

"I asked her if we could," Lincoln interjected. "It's my favourite game back in Royal Woods."

Nikki paused for a moment, before responding, "Okay, I believe that. Though, I also know that Ronnie Anne here loves the dance machine."

"You… you do?"

"Yeah, I've spotted you on it a couple of times. Still, never seen you enjoy it as much as you did then." Ronnie Anne's blush got even brighter, while Lincoln smiled nervously. "Look, I don't know what's going on between you two, but I can tell you're close. And relax, I'm not going to tell anyone- it's nice to see that you two can spend time together like that." Her friends looked at each other, not sure how to respond to that. "Anyway, I better get going. Have fun, you two."

With that, the blonde left, leaving the two kids to look at each other nervously. "So, uh… should we get going?" Lincoln asked after a brief yet awkward silence.

"Uh… yeah, let's… let's go."

* * *

Back at the Casagrande building, most of the two families were back, chatting together in the living room about what they got up to while Lynn Sr and Rosa were preparing dinner. As they did this, Lori looked up at the clock in the wall, which read four fifty-five.

"Where do you think Ronnie Anne and Lincoln are?" She asked her sisters.

"They'll probably be making the return journey to our destination," Lisa answered first. "I would speculate they should arrive within the next three minutes."

"Still, I wouldn't have expected Lincoln to cut it so close, or Ronnie Anne for that matter."

"Relax, dude," Luna assured, "they're probably just walking in the winter wonderland outside."

"I bet they were so caught up in their date, they lost track of time," Leni offered, eliciting a couple of squeals from her sisters.

"I doubt it was actually a date," Lori told the others. "Bobby told me they were meeting up with three of her friends, so it'd literally be awkward if it was actually a date."

"Plus, who picks the arcade for a date?" Lola spat. "Please, we've taught Linky better than that."

"But you're four years younger than him," Lana reminded her twin, who groaned.

"I meant 'we' collectively, Lana!"

"I'd think of a joke, but I don't want it to be too funny in case I 'we' myself!" Luan joked, laughing immediately after. "Get it?"

A chorus of groans took its usual place right after. Before anyone else could sat anything, their eyes all darted towards the hall upon hearing the door open.

"We're back!" Lincoln called out, the door shutting soon after. He and Ronnie Anne made their way into the living room, having left their coats in the corridors. "Sorry we're late."

"Actually, elder male sibling, you arrived one minute before the deadline- ergo, you are on time," Lisa clarified.

"You just rhymed- that's my thing," Lucy pointed out, though it went ignored. "Sigh."

"What kept you, bro?" Lynn asked.

"Have too much fun on your date?" Lana teased, her and the rest of her sisters grinning at the boy, who rolled his eyes at them.

"We were walking back when the winds picked up like crazy," Ronnie Anne explained. "We were struggling not to get blown away out there, we had to find shelter for a few minutes until they died down a little."

"Well, at least you're back okay," Lori replied.

"Dinner in five minutes, everyone!" They heard Lynn Sr. call out from the kitchen.

"Guess I better go wash up," Ronnie Anne said to Lincoln, before she walked away.

Once she did, Lincoln turned to his sisters. "Okay, guys, I need you to stop," he said firmly.

Leni blinked. "Stop what?"

"Acting like me and Ronnie Anne are boyfriend and girlfriend!"

"But, Linky-"

"No, don't 'Linky' me! I'm being serious here. Me and Ronnie Anne are friends, okay?"

"Bro, it's pretty obvious you're more than just that," Luna pointed out.

"Okay, close friends, but we are NOT dating!"

Lori kneeled down to her brother's height, looking him in the eye. "Lincoln, why are you getting so upset?" She asked, a look of concern in her eyes. "You've never gotten so upset about us teasing you like this before."

"I know, but…" he sighed, ducking his head. "I just don't want things to be awkward, okay? For one thing, it's Christmas, and we're staying in her home. Don't get me wrong- I've missed seeing Ronnie Anne in person, and we had a blast at the arcade, but I don't want things to get uncomfortable between us, or else she might not want me to hang out with me again. I don't want that."

"Aww…" The response from his sisters caused his cheeks to heat up again, but that didn't stop them from giggling at how cute he seemed.

"Lincoln, I think you know she would never want to stop hanging out with you. You two are good friends, and the distance between you hasn't changed that. But, if that's how important it is to you, then we'll stop with the teasing."

He looked up again. "Really?" Lori nodded, and when he turned to his other nine sisters, they all did the same, causing him to smile. "Thanks, guys."

"Come here, twerp." She wrapped her arms around him, which led to his sisters joining in one by one, until all eleven siblings were in a group hug, which lasted for a good few seconds before they let go. "Now, go wash up."

He nodded, then walked towards the hallway. Once he was gone, Lori felt Lola pulling her on her sleeve. "Do we REALLY have to stop teasing him?" She asked.

"Yes, Lola, we do," she replied, resulting in the pageant queen giving a pout.

"Meanie."

* * *

In the hallway, Lincoln waited until Ronnie Anne reappeared from the bathroom. "All yours, Lame-O," she told him as she stepped away from the door.

"Thanks," he replied, before entering the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Ronnie Anne turned around and began walking towards the dining table, only to stop when she saw her brother exit from his room. He saw her and smiled. "Hey, Nie Nie!" He greeted.

She blushed, emitting a low growl. "Bobby… I told you not to call me that while the Louds are here! They hear you call me that, and they'll start calling me it, or worse- try and get Lincoln to use it as a pet name for me!"

He chuckled, scratching behind his ear. "Right, my bad. So, how was the arcade?"

Her previously angry expression quickly changed into a happy one. "It was awesome! Me and Lincoln must have set all the high scores in the entire arcade!"

"Sounds like you had a lot of fun with little bro."

"Yeah, I-" Her smile lessened as she thought about it. "Yeah, I… I really did."

Bobby noticed the slight dip in her mood. "You okay, Ronnie?" There was a slight pause before she nodded, not thoroughly convincing him but doing so enough to leave it for now. "Well, we better get to the table before Abuela realises we're not there." He rubbed his rear cheek. "Don't want to go through that again."

Ronnie Anne chuckled, before following her brother to the dining room, where Bobby sat between Lori and Carlos, and Ronnie Anne sat next to Carlota. Lincoln joined them soon after, sitting between Ronnie Anne and Luna. It didn't take long before Lynn Sr and Rosa returned, carrying tray after tray of delicious food. Some of the Louds stared in shock at just how much food was being brought in, though the Casagrande's and Santiago's were used to it, as were Lori and Lincoln to an extent. After the last tray was placed in the centre of the makeshift table (two regular dining tables covered in a cloth), Lynn Sr cleared his throat. "Before we start handing out food, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank the Casagrande's for being our hosts for today and tomorrow."

"Nonsense!" Rosa replied, waving him off. "You did the same for us at Thanksgiving, it was only fair."

"Still, you have been wonderful in allowing us to stay here for Christmas, so here's to our two families coming together once again, and this time peacefully." Everyone shared a laugh at the joke, while the chef raised his glass. "To us!"

"TO US!"


	6. Ch 6- Carol Service

After a good half hour or so of eating, everyone sat in their chairs, full and content, even if some felt like they could enter a food coma from that much food. "Geez," Lynn Jr sighed, "and I thought lunch was a big meal."

"You're complaining now," Carlota said from across the table, "yet it's Christmas day tomorrow, so there'll be the turkey as well."

Lynn's face paled a little. "Looks like I'm doing crunches before bed."

Lincoln chuckled, before turning to Ronnie Anne. "You know, this is nice, isn't it?" He asked.

She raised an eyebrow to the boy. "What do you mean?" She asked in return.

"You know, just… being able to sit here and talk without everyone fighting."

A dry laugh escaped her lips. "Yeah, I guess Thanksgiving was kind of a disaster. Still, at least we learned to get along in the end."

"I know. Still, shame we can't do this every year. This is one of the best Christmas Eve's I've had."

"Don't jinx yourself, lame-o, you've still got the evening and tomorrow yet."

"Who wants dessert?" Everyone heard Rosa call as she returned to the dining table, carrying a tray with glasses of fruit and juice, covered with a sprinkling of a red powder. While the Santiago's and Casagrande's quickly accepted theirs, the Louds were less eager.

"I doubt I could push it to the limit," Luna sighed, with many of her sisters agreeing.

"Come on, lame-o," Ronnie Anne taunted, "have a try."

"I think I'm too full," he argued.

"Too full, or too afraid?"

Seeing the cocky grin on her face, he steeled up. "Okay, fine!" Ignoring the giggles from the girls, he took a drink from the glass, then waited a second. "You know, this isn't too- woah!" His eyes lit up as he felt a burning on his tongue. "Hot, hot, hot!" Grabbing a glass of water, he took a swig before panting as his tongue cooled down. "What's in this?!"

"Those are my mangonadas," Rosa explained. "It's frozen mangoes and lime in fruit juice, topped with chamoy and chilli powder."

He blinked, before suddenly beginning to lick his lips. "Actually, it's… kind of sweet." Grabbing at the dessert again, he tried some more, a smile appearing after. "This is actually really good! You guys should try it!"

Hearing that their brother enjoyed it, his family all decided to try the dessert themselves, and while some had the same initial reaction to the spiciness at the first taste, they all seemed to enjoy it, which warmed the heart of the Casagrande matriarch.

"It's so good to see you all enjoy my food," she said, wiping a tear from her eye. "It means a lot to me."

"Well, it wouldn't be fair if we didn't even try it," Lori commented, "after all, you must have worked so hard at it."

"Thank you, Lori. And the rest of you, too. Now, those of you who are done can go and relax for about thirty minutes, as we leave for the carol service at quarter past six."

"Wanna head to my room and play video games?" Ronnie asked the snowy-haired boy.

"Sure, because we haven't done THAT at all," he quipped.

"Shut up," she retorted, trying to sound irritated with a light punch on his shoulder, but failing as the laughter came out, the two fifth graders walking away from the table.

"Lori, can we PLEASE tease them a little?" Luan begged her eldest sister.

"No, Luan," Lori quickly replied. "We promised him."

"But they're so CUTE together!" Lola argued.

"To be honest, I haven't seen Ronnie Anne that happy since she moved in here," Carlota pointed out. "Lincoln seems to bring out the best in her."

"True, but Lincoln brings out the best in MOST people," Lori pointed out in response. "Besides, we said we wouldn't make him uncomfortable, and that's what we're going to do." She took a quick glance towards the hallway, before showing her sisters a mischievous grin. "Of course, we didn't say anything about talking behind their backs."

As the eleven girls giggled amongst each other, Rosa smiled at the sight before her- the two families, together in harmony. "That's what Christmas is all about."

* * *

It wasn't long before everyone was back outside, coats, hats, scarves and gloves on as they made their way down the quiet, evening streets. The winds had settled, and though the cold was still there, the gentle snowfall made everything seem just a little bit magical. The two families walked alongside each other towards a fairly traditional looking church, a yellow glow emanating from the light behind the glass doors as people young and old, male and female, and from all sorts of backgrounds made their way inside.

"Here we are, everyone," Rosa announced. "This is the Santa Maria church of Great Lakes City, the oldest church within the city." As she led the families in through the double doors in the front, she smiled. "Pastor Jonathan!"

Upon hearing his name, an elderly man with dark skin, short black hair and glasses, wearing a pastor's robes, smiled and walked up to the elderly woman. "Mrs Casagrande," he greeted, shaking her hand. "It's lovely to have you hear, as always. How have you been?"

"You know me, just looking after my family."

"But, of course." He turned to Hector. "Welcome, Hector."

"Thank you, Pastor Jonathan."

He then turned to the rest of the Casagrande's. "And of course, Frida and Rosa, and your wonderful children."

"Thank you, Pastor Jonathan," Frida told the man, while her husband and children all waved.

"You are most welcome." He then saw the Loud family, and despite his surprise at their size, he maintained his smile. "And who do we have here?"

"Pastor Jonathan, my name is Lynn Sr., and this is my wife Rita," Lynn said, shaking the pastor's hand. "These are our children- Lori, Leni, Luna, Luan, Lynn Jr, Lincoln, Lucy,

Lana, Lola, Lisa and Lily."

As their names were called out, the Loud children gave a wave, though Jonathan noticed that Luna's wave was slightly smaller than the others, but he ignored it for the time being. "Well, it is lovely to meet you. Are you new to the city?"

"Actually," Rita explained, "we're spending the holidays with the Casagrande's."

"It was the least we could do, since they hosted Thanksgiving for us," Rosa added.

"Now, that sounds truly wonderful. I hope you enjoy the service- as God's children, you are always welcome here."

"Thank you, Pastor Jonathan." Rosa then turned to the two families. "We should go find our seats."

The families agreed, following after her into the church. Jonathan, however, noticed that Luna hesitated, standing still with a conflicted expression. "Excuse me, miss," he said, getting her attention. "I'm sorry, that was a lot of names, and my mind isn't what it used to be. Could you remind me of yours?"

"Luna," she told him.

"Luna, forgive me if I'm speaking out of term, but you seem troubled. How come?"

She looked down at her feet. "It's… I mean, it's probably nothing."

"Luna, you can confide in me." He gave a small smirk. "If it's the carols that worry you, I'm not that good at singing myself."

"It's not that, though I might need to make sure I don't sing out of sync with the rest." She looked back up and saw the sincere look in the holy man's eyes. "It's just… this isn't really my crib, you know? I'm not that sure if I… belong here, I guess."

"I take it then that you're not a religious person."

"Not especially, but it's more than that. It's just that… well…"

"Luna. We are all God's children. No matter where we come from or who we are, that will not change, and so, we are all welcome in God's house." Luna didn't respond, his words having an oddly soothing affect on her inner turmoil. "I'll let you think about that, if it helps."

All she did was nod, before she turned to head where her family had gone. As she put a hand on the wooden door, she turned in time to see the pastor greet two men, who were arm in arm and hand in hand, both with a golden band round their ring fingers. She heard the pastor speak warmly to them, like they were close friends, and seeing this brought a smile to her face, before she turned again, pushing through the wooden doors. She walked through the well-lit, pristine room, walking past the rows of wooden seats along the red carpets, to where her family were sat in the second room which had a good view behind the Casagrande's in the row ahead of the pulpit and the choir and orchestra.

As Luna shuffled along to sit next to Luan, the comedienne looked at her older sister. "What kept you?" She asked.

"Nothing, bruh," she replied, "everything's alright."

It wasn't long before the benches were filled, and the pastor made his way to the pulpit, placing his speech in front of him. Looking out at the crowd that had gathered on this night, he smiled. "Welcome, everyone," he addressed, the chatter from the crowd hushing down as he began to speak. "I thank you all for joining me here tonight, on this festive occasion. Looking out among you, I see many regular faces, as well as more than a few newer faces as well, but it does not matter whether you are new or old, for you are all welcome in the eyes of the lord." More than a few members of the crowd responded with "amen". "Let us open our service with a hymn."

For about forty-five minutes, Pastor Jonathan led the sermon, with a selection of hymns interspersing his telling of the Christmas story. As he looked out at the crowd, he was happy to see not a single person not taking part in each hymn. As he wrapped up the Christmas story, he paused for a moment before smiling. "You know, there is something about this time of year that always makes me reflect, upon my own life as well as the world around me, and whenever I do, I must admit that it can be bittersweet. For every step forward, our society makes a step back in a different direction. There will always be dark times, to test our resolve. But even when there is darkness, there will be lights that shine. Sure, there will be some who are willing to turn their backs on others because of what they see on the outside- sadly, at least one of those people is in power." A wave of chuckling laughter ensued from the crowd. "But for every person who does so, there will be someone who can look past that and see them for the person they are inside." He stepped around from behind the pulpit. "Take me, for instance. There will be those who look at me, and their mind will be made up instantly, whether for good or for bad. But there are those people, like all of you gathered here today, who can look past this and accept me for who I am, just like how you can do that for each other," he looked up to the ceiling, "and how the lord will do that for you."

"Amen!" The crowd of churchgoers replied, causing him to smile.

"Amen. Now, we have one last hymn before our final prayer, but before we do so, there's something I'd like to ask. Some might say that a flock is determined by the shepherd that guides them, but it is my belief that it is the shepherd who is determined by his flock, so I would like to ask one of you to lead us in this hymn."

He waited for a moment, hoping to hear someone speak up or raise their hand. While he did so, Luna felt a nudge on her shoulder from Luan. "You gonna do it?" she asked.

Luna frowned a little. "I dunno, bruh," she replied, surprising the comedienne.

"I thought you'd love to do this! How come?"

"Well… I'm not…" Luan waited patiently for a response. "I'm not… from here, am I?"

"So?"

Luna tried to think of a response, but nothing came to mind. "Do not fear, no one has to do so," Pastor Jonathan stressed, "but if there is someone who would like to do so, then we are all willing to hear you, no matter who you are."

Luna looked to the Pastor, then back to Luan who was silently encouraging her, before standing up hesitantly. "May I, Pastor?" She asked, trying to tune out the attention she now received.

Jonathan smiled. "Of course you may," he told her, gesturing for her to approach. Luna slowly and quietly passed her family and walked up to the front, where a sheet of music was on a stand by the orchestra. The director handed her a microphone and told her, "whenever you're ready."

She nodded, before standing behind the stand and facing the crowd. She displayed a certain nervousness that those who knew her were not used to seeing- Luna Loud, the Royal Woods rocker who could play any instrument imaginable and could perform on any given night, almost looked shy. She looked over at her family, seeing Luan give her a thumbs up, before closing her eyes, taking a deep breath, and holding up the mic so she could begin to sing.

" _Silent night, holy night,_

 _All is calm, all is bright,_

 _Round yon virgin mother and child_

 _Holy infant, so tender and mild_

 _Sleep in heavenly peace_

 _Sleep in heavenly peace"_

Her voice was quiet in comparison to her usual style, and much more gentle, yet still carried throughout the church, bringing smiles to all. Looking back at her family, she could see they were smiling even more, with some of the Loud's and the Casagrande's wiping away tears. As she began the second verse, the orchestra kicked in, with the choir and everyone in the church singing along, allowing Luna's fears to disappear. Once the song was over, she returned to her family so Pastor Jonathan could deliver his finally prayer for the night, before allowing everyone to head on home. He stood their in the entryway, shaking hands and bidding goodnight to everyone who passed him bye.

As the Casagrande's and Louds approached, he smiled and turned to them. "Thank you all for coming," he told them.

"No, thank you for having us!" Rita replied. "This was such a wonderful service!"

"You flatter me. Still, if you ever come back to the city, these doors are always open to you and your family." He then turned to Rosa. "I'm sure you can attest to that."

A soft laughter came from the Casagrande's. "Well, thank you, Pastor Jonathan," she told him.

"You are always welcome. I wish you and both your families a good night and safe travels."

The two families all said their goodbyes as they walked towards the exit, though Luna turned around before she could leave. "Pastor?" She asked, getting his attention again. "Thank you."

"For what, my dear?"

"For making me feel welcome. I know I was pretty antsy before, but… you really know how to make someone feel welcome."

He chuckled. "That is never a bother for me. I am happy to welcome anyone who comes to my church, regardless of who they are, where they came from, who they love."

Luna blinked. "Who they love?"

"I happened to spot you glancing when my brother and his husband arrived." Luna chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her arm. "Don't worry, it's okay. I take it that is why you were nervous about being rejected before?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, you needn't worry. There may be some who would, and that some teachings of the bible would suggest they were right, but times have changed and I would never allow that. You are one of God's children- that is what matters."

She nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Goodnight, Luna."

"Night, Pastor Jonathan." And with that, she turned around and headed back into the snow-capped streets to catch up with her family.


	7. Ch 7- Christmas Morning

After returning to the house, everyone gathered on the couch- except for Lisa, Lily and Carlitos, who all went to bed (or were put to bed, in the case of the infants)- and enjoyed a classic Christmas movie together, before everyone retired to their rooms. Due to the large amount of people that were now in the house, the Casagrande's and Santiago's had to share their rooms with the Loud's, so it was Lincoln, Bobby, Carl and CJ; Lori, Leni, Luan and Carlota; Lynn Jr., Lucy and Ronnie Anne; Lola, Lana and Lisa; Lynn Sr. and Rita, with Lily in her crib; Carlos and Frida, with Carlitos in his crib; and Hector and Rosa, with Maria being willing to take the couch, while Luna slept in a hammock Hector had found in the bodega.

In the room with the four boys, CJ and Carl quickly found themselves drifting to sleep in their beds. As for the Santiago and the Loud sleeping in sleeping bags, the former looked over at the white-haired boy. "Hey, Lincoln," he whispered. "You still awake?"

"Yeah," he replied, turning to face the older boy while resting on his elbow. "What's up?"

"You excited for tomorrow?"

"Kinda. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, but this year just feels kinda weird, you know? I'm not used to spending Christmas away from home, and yet… it's almost like I am at home, what with everyone getting along in their own way."

"I hear you, little bro."

"So, what about you?"

"Oh, I am so psyched! My first Christmas with the extended family, and I get to spend it with your family too!"

"I'm sure it'll be chaotic."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

"Me neither. So, I'm sure you'll have some kind of 'big, romantic gesture' for Lori?"

He smirked at the boy. "You say that like it's a joke, but it won't be too long before you're doing the same for someone special." Lincoln was thankful that the darkness hid his blush from Bobby. "But don't worry, it won't be too grand or affectionate, so you can relax."

"Okay…"

Bobby sensed Lincoln wanted to say something else, but didn't know if he should. "You okay, Lincoln?"

"I… Yeah, I'm just… just tired. I think I should get some shut eye. Night, Bobby."

Before the Santiago boy could respond, he was just able to see as Lincoln turned over in his sleeping bag and shut his eyes. Bobby sighed, before doing the same. "Night, Lincoln."

* * *

The next morning, as the sun rose high enough to peek through the curtains, the light flickered onto the eyes of the sole son of the Loud's, causing the white-haired boy to groggily awaken. As he wiped the sleep away, he sat up, looking around to see he was the only one awake.

'Might as well get up, I guess,' he thought, unzipping the sleeping bag he was in and getting to his feet. Going into his bag and grabbing some clothes, he quietly exited the bedroom and tiptoed into the thankfully empty bathroom, where he traded his pyjamas for fresh clothes. Once he was dressed, he looked in the mirror and saw his hair was a little unkempt, so he used his hands to fix it, smiling at his reflection once he was confident that it looked okay.

Leaving the bathroom, he quietly went down the hallway, looking into the living room as he passed to see that the tree was host to a huge collection of presents of all different sizes and colours. He smiled at the sight, but decided to leave them be so as not to wake the soundly sleeping Maria and Luna, let alone incur the wrath of anyone who caught him and thought he was trying to open his without the others. Walking further down, he entered the kitchen, his presence quickly becoming known to Rosa while she cooked at the stove.

"Good morning, Lincoln!" She greeted, happily yet quietly due to the opening in the wall between the kitchen and the living room. "You're up early!"

"Morning, Mrs Casagrande," he replied.

"Well, since you're up, would you mind helping me prepare breakfast?"

"Sure."

"Excellent! Just wash up, and you can help me with the eggs." He began to do as she said, walking over to the sink to turn it on. "So, are you excited for Christmas?"

"I am, though it does feel weird being away from home for it this year."

The elderly woman let out a soft laugh. "I'm sure it is, but at least you are with your family. That's what's important."

"You're right. Plus, it's going to be quite fun with all you guys as well."

"I'm glad you think so!" Once he finished drying his hands, she got out a few carton of eggs and placed them on the counter. "So, how do your family like your eggs?"

"Actually, my family are kind of particular with eggs, and they all like theirs done differently. It might be easier if I just handle ours." She allowed him to do so, the two of them quickly getting the eggs done, while also preparing toast and bacon, as well as putting on a couple of pots of coffee. "So, is that everything?"

"Si, Lincoln. Thank you so much for the help."

He smiled back at her. "Not a problem, Mrs Casagrande."

"Lincoln, it's Christmas- call me Rosa."

"Okay. Is there anything else I can do?"

"Actually, would you mind waking the rest of our families for me, while I finish the food and get plates ready?"

"Sure thing, Rosa." He walked out of the kitchen and headed into the living room. Seeing his rocker sister in the hammock gave him an idea, so he walked up to Luna first. "Morning, Luna," he said, gently shaking her shoulder. "It's time to get up."

Groggily groaning, the rocker opened her eyes, and smiled upon seeing her little brother. "Hey, bro," she greeted, "what's up?"

"Breakfast is almost ready, and I need your help getting the others up."

With an eyebrow raised, she carefully got out of the hammock. "How am I gonna help?" He motioned for her to lean forward, so he could whisper in her ear. When he did so, a mischievous grin appeared on her face. "Sure thing, bro! Though, you better let Mrs Santiago know so she doesn't have a heart attack."

He nodded, then walked over to the couch, where he quietly woke Maria up. Once she was sat up, he explained what was going to happen. Looking back at Luna, Who now had her guitar in hand, he nodded, both him and Maria covering their ears. Luna prepared to play the guitar, took a deep breath, and yelled,

"IT'S CHRIIIIIIIIIIIIISTMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS!"

As Luna began to play the guitar, everyone else groggily awakened, the kids quickly feeling the excitement that it was Christmas Day and the parents yawning. It didn't take long for everyone to get dressed and leave their bedrooms, wash up and sit down at the table, while Rosa and Lincoln served breakfast, with extra toast, coffee and orange juice there for those who wanted it.

"Luna, did you literally have to wake us up with your music?" Lori complained, shooting her a tired glare.

"Sorry, dudes," she replied, before smirking and winking at Lincoln, who chuckled before looking around the table.

"Hey, where's Ronnie Anne?" He asked, ignoring the smirks his sisters donned after he asked this.

"She's just freshening up," Lynn Jr told him, not even trying to hide her smirk.

"Morning, everyone," they all heard the Santiago girl greet as she finally entered, wearing the Royal Woods hoodie Lincoln got her a while back, with jeans instead of shorts, and her hair was down rather than in a ponytail. As the others greeted her, Lincoln- having finished serving his half of the food and sat down- couldn't help but blush but see her like this. She sat down next to him and smiled. "Hey, Lame-o."

He snapped out of his thoughts. "Uh, h-hey, Ronnie Anne," he greeted back, his cheeks heating up further.

She looked at him with a bemused smile. "You alright? You look like you slept next to the fireplace."

This, along with his sisters' giggling, only further caused his cheeks to heat up. "Yeah, I'm fine." He wanted to tell her, "it's just that… you look really pretty with your hair down," but he was afraid things would be awkward if he did. Instead, he simply said, "merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas."

This triggered a chain of festive greetings between the two families, back and forth across the table. As Rosa sat down and poured herself some coffee, she cleared her throat. "Everyone!" She spoke, gathering attention from all twenty four family members. "Today is a very special Christmas Day, and I wasn't certain that I would ever be able to host such a wondrous occasion. I thank my family for being as wonderful as ever, and I thank the Louds for being so gracious in joining us and accepting us in their lives. Most importantly, I thank Bobby and Lori, who made us see that our families could get along, and without whom we would not all be together under one roof." Everyone echoed these sentiments with the likes of "here here" and "to Bobby and Lori" and a "can we eat now" from Lana, which brought chuckles out of everyone. "So, what are we waiting for? Dig in!"

* * *

As was quickly becoming the norm, one breakfast was over, everyone was satisfied with full stomachs. The Louds still weren't used to the barrage of food that Rosa served, but thankfully they were a bit more comfortable this time, due to the fact it was the first thing in the morning.

"Alright, everyone!" Lynn Sr spoke up. "Now that we are all ready for the day, I think it would be a good idea if we opened up some prese-"

Before he could even finish the word, most of the kids screamed "PRESENTS!" Getting up from the table, they rushed towards the living room, with Lori, Bobby and the adults being the last ones to leave the table. Eagerly, the kids began to crowd around the tree, trying to figure out which presents were theirs. Some knew that they would be just adding to the chaos if they tried the same, so they held back.

"Everyone, everyone!" Carlos called out. "I know you're excited, but let's try and do this in an orderly fashion. We'll go from oldest to youngest and select the presents that we will be handing out. If you try and rush things, your presents will be held until after everyone else has opened theirs. Is that clear?"

Once everyone had calmed down, they one by one walked up to the tree and grabbed the presents they would give out, then sat in a circle-like shape, some on the couches and most on the floor. After all the presents were out from under the tree, they began to hand them out. Some of the Louds also got gifts for and 'from' Sergei and Lalo, to make up for the numbers and so that everyone received and gave out three gifts each. For the most part, everyone loved their gifts, even if Lola did receive an unwelcome lick from Lalo for what she had given him.

Towards the end of the gift giving, Ronnie Anne and Lincoln exchanged theirs, deciding to save them for last. Having opened his first, Lincoln smiled with glee upon seeing, "the Ace Savvy encyclopedia! This is so awesome!" His eyes practically glistened with childlike happiness as he looked up to Ronnie Anne, which she couldn't help but think was cute. "Thank you so much!"

"No problem, Lame-O," she replied, then smirked. "Though I'd like to see you beat that."

They both chuckled. "I dunno about that, but," he grabbed the gold and silver parcel, and placed it on her lap, "hopefully it can be just as good."

"Woah! You took a lot of care wrapping this!" She looked at him, and he simply beckoned for her to open it. Removing the ribbon, she tore through the paper to find a cardboard box. Opening the lid, she gasped, unknowingly gathering everyone's attention and worrying Lincoln. "Lincoln…" She pulled out a purple skateboard, with a flame decal one one side and a white skull at the other end. Looking at Lincoln with surprised eyes, she simply said, "is this what I think it is?"

Though his smile had faded somewhat, it was still there as he nodded. "Yeah, it's the one from Gus' Games And Grub."

Ignoring the cooing and the shipping eyes from the rest of their families, Ronnie Anne sat there, amazed by the gesture. "Lincoln… I can't believe you did this!"

"What do you mean?"

"I remember this being worth ten thousand tickets, more than any other in the arcade's history! I can't even believe you remembered that I wanted it."

"Well, I remember you saying that you would get it one day the last time we went to Gus', so I saved up so I could get it for you."

"Lincoln, you could have gotten yourself so much more with those tickets."

"Ronnie Anne, don't be silly!" He placed a hand on top of hers, causing a small spark between them as their hearts skipped a beat. "I wanted to do this for you."

With nothing more to say, she smiled and leaned into a hug which he happily returned. "I love it, Lame-o. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

* * *

For the next couple of hours, while the adults cleared up the paper and relaxed, the kids and pets enjoyed their presents, before they were to reconvene for lunch. Bobby, having left to go to his room, quickly returned and approached his girlfriend, gently taking hold of her hand. "Hey, babe?"

"Yes, Boo Boo Bear?" She asked.

"I've got a surprise for you."

She gasped, then smiled eagerly. "What is it?"

He wagged his free index finger. "You'll just have to see what it is. Come on." He helped her out of the chair, then led her towards the hall. When he reached the living room entrance, however, he instantly paled. "Oh no."

Her curiosity quickly became concern. "What is it?" When he didn't respond, she followed his gaze and had the same reaction. "Oh no."

"What do we do?"

"We have to move them before someone-"

"EEK! RONNIE ANNE AND LINCOLN ARE UNDER THE MISTLETOE!"


	8. Ch 8- Tensions Arise

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne both blinked as a stampede of feet entered the living room, the rest of the two families gathering either side of the fifth graders. "What are you guys talking about?" He asked, very confused by what was happening.

"Look up, little bro!" Luna giddily sang, her and the rest of her sisters (sans Lori) all looking on excitedly. Doing as she suggest, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne both looked up and gulped upon seeing a bunch of mistletoe, hanging from a red ribbon tied in a bow. They slowly looked down, their eyes meeting with the same level of panic and fear, before turning back to the others. "You know what that means!"

"B-b-but, I can't!" He stuttered.

"Y-yeah, w-we're just friends!" Ronnie Anne added.

"Uh, uh, uh!" Lola tutted. "When two people meet under mistletoe, they have to share a kiss! That's a rule!"

"She's right, champ!" Lynn Sr called out from the living room. "One time, we had Aunt Ruth round for Christmas and I ended up under the mistletoe with her." He shuddered heavily. "That was one of my least favourite Christmas's."

"Honey, it wasn't that bad!" Rita argued.

"Says you! You even took a picture of it!"

Frida's eyes lit up. "Ooh! Don't go anywhere, I need my camera!"

"But we-" Her words fell on deaf ears, as her aunt quickly left to find the item in question. Ronnie Anne looked angrily at the Loud sisters. "Why are you making us do this?"

"Hey, you're the ones under the kissletoe!" Luan punned, laughing as she always did. "Get it?"

Though her pun received groans as usual, this was quickly overlooked in favour of the more pressing matter. "Come on, Linky," Leni encouraged, "you and your girlfriend would look so cute together!"

"SHE'S/HE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND!" They both barked.

"Oh, buck up and kiss her, Lincoln!" Lynn yelled, inspiring the rest of her sisters (again, sans Lori) to start chanting "kiss her" at the white-haired boy, who stood there nervously.

Glancing over at Ronnie Anne, he asked, "how do we get out of this?"

Equally nervous, she replied, "I don't know. Maybe we can just make a run for it?"

"I guess there's no other choice. Alright, on three. One… two…"

"What is going on out here?" They heard Rosa call as she entered the hall, apron around her neck.

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne breathed out in relief. "We're saved," they both muttered.

"Ronnie Anne and Lincoln won't kiss under the mistletoe, abuela!" CJ explained.

"But you must! It will ward off evil spirits!"

While Bobby and Lori facepalmed, and the rest of Lori's sisters all smirked, the two fifth graders' jaws dropped. "Seriously?!" Ronnie Anne complained.

"Actually, it's a tradition that stems from Norse mythology," Carlos explained. "It is also a sign of love and friendship, and to deny the kiss is not only to deny that love or friendship, but a sign of bad luck." Lincoln's face went even paler at the mention of "bad luck", his mind flashing back to the last time he had been accused of that.

"I will not have evil spirits in my house!" Rosa stated firmly.

"Great," Ronnie Anne complained, before turning to Lincoln, who looked like he was about to be sick. "You okay, lame-o?"

He turned to her, shook his head lightly, then sighed. "Sorry about this."

"I'm sorry too."

"Found it!" Frida announced as she returned, camera in hand. "Have they done it yet?"

"Nope, but I think they're about to," Carl mockingly teased.

Ronnie Anne growled at the boy, but this was lost under the countdown that began with his sisters. Though they were both dreading it, Ronnie Anne and Lincoln knew that there was no escaping what was to come. Reluctantly, they shuffled towards each other, face to face, leaned in and kissed once the countdown was at zero. Ignoring the cheering and applause from the Loud sisters and the Casagrande siblings, they waited for the flash to go off from Frida's camera, and instantly backed away after. Neither dared to look to the other, afraid of their reaction to the awkward interaction.

"There we go!" Rosa commended. "Was that so hard?" Both of them muttered "yes", but she ignored it. "Come on, everyone! Lunch is ready!"

With that, the two families began heading towards the dining table. As Lincoln reached the entrance, he accidentally bumped into Ronnie Anne, causing them both to back away from each other. Bobby and Lori just watched as they awkwardly tried to figure out who would go in first, with Ronnie Anne entering after Lincoln following a good few seconds of awkward stepping and stuttering. Once they were in the living room, Bobby groaned. "I can't believe this happened," he said to Lori, putting a hand to his head. "I'm such an idiot."

Frowning, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Bobby, don't say that!" She told him. "This wasn't your fault."

"But, it was!" He took her hand from his shoulder, so he could turn around and face her. "The mistletoe was the surprise I was talking about. I thought, if I set it up, I could surprise you and it would be really romantic, you know?" He looked down, shaking his head. "But now I've just made my sis and your bro uncomfortable."

Although she found it sweet that he thought of that, it broke her hear him beat himself up about it, so she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, placing a hand behind his head which now rested on her shoulder. "Bobby, this was not your fault. You couldn't have possibly predicted that literally THAT would happen, or that my sisters would goad them on like that, or that your grandmother would force them to do it. No matter what, this wasn't your fault."

He couldn't help but smile at his girlfriend's words. "Thanks, babe. Still," he released himself from the hug and looked into the living room, "I feel bad for little bro and Nie Nie."

Lori followed his gaze once again, just in time to see Ronnie Anne and Lincoln both reach for the butter, only to accidentally touch hands. They glanced at each other before instantly looking away, each with a frown on their face, which just broke Lori's heart broke even more.

"We'll think of something. Just… give them some time."

* * *

After a relatively light lunch, everyone was pleasantly chatting around the table, save for the two silent eleven-year-olds, with Ronnie Anne listening to her younger cousins arguing over who had the better presents and Lincoln pushing a piece of broccoli back and forth on his plate with his fork.

"So, kids!" Rita spoke up, putting down her napkin. "What's everyone going to do while we prepare dinner?"

"We should TOTALLY have a massive snowball fight!" Lynn Jr suggested, instantly being received with vocal agreement from the rest of the kids.

"The falling crystals of ice precipitated by the atmosphere, street name- snow, should have settled overnight," Lisa explained, adjusting her glasses. "Therefore, it would be the perfect condition for such activities."

"Sigh… you're not going to build another cannon to help you win, are you?" Lucy asked.

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Fine."

"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, less talking, more moving! Let's go!"

Everyone quickly got up from their seats, the fifteen kids (not including Lily and Carlitos) heading towards the hallway to get their coats, hats, gloves and scarves, with the adults calling out to make sure they did. Once they were wrapped up and ready for the cold, they began heading towards the door, eagerly making their way through and down the stairwell. "Bobby!" Rosa called, just as he grabbed the handle. "Can you come in here a moment?"

"Sure thing, abuela!" He replied, then turned to Lori. "I'll be down in a minute, okay?" She nodded, then followed after her sisters and brother. Bobby walked into the kitchen, where Rosa and Lynn Sr were preparing dinner, while Frida, Carlos, Hector and Maria were washing up and clearing the table. "What's up?"

"When you all come back, I need you to head into the bodega." She glared over at Hector. "Your grandfather left the Christmas napkins and crackers down there, and we need them for dinner."

"Sure, I can do that."

"Here's the key!" Hector told his grandson, pulling a silver key on a chain out of his pocket and throwing it, so Bobby could catch it and place it in his trouser pocket. "Make sure to lock up after, and don't go in the dairy freezer!"

"And watch out for your cousins and sister!" Maria asked. "You know how much of a handful they can be!"

"Not to mention our kids!" Rita added, prompting Lynn Sr to chuckle.

"Got it. I'll see you later!"

With that, he headed out of the kitchen and opened the door, going through then closing it behind him. Heading down the stairwell, he headed outside, where his family and friends were all waiting.

"Yo, Santiago! Get over here!" Lynn Jr shouted. Bobby chuckled, then shut the door before running over to join them, slowing down to stand next to Lori. "Alright, we're all here, so how we gonna do this? Free-for-all?"

"Well, we can't do Louds versus," Carlota pointed out, "you guys have a clear numbers advantage."

"Also, free-for-all, as Lynn so 'elegantly' puts it," Lisa argued, "would give the more physically endeavoured an advantage."

"Well, why don't we do two teams?" Bobby suggested.

"That still gives one team a one man advantage!" Lola complained. "How would we decide who gets the extra body?"

"Actually, guys, I think I'll sit this one out," Lucy piped up.

"You sure, Luce Change?" Luna asked.

"Yeah. The cold is giving me inspiration for a poem." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pad of paper and a pen to further her point. "I'll be fine."

"Well, in that case, we just need to divide the teams," Lori pointed out.

"Ooh, Ooh, Ooh! I know!" Lana exclaimed, raising her hand. "How about Casagrande's, Santiago's, Lori and Lincoln versus the rest of us?"

Lincoln gulped, fearful that he and Ronnie Anne would still be awkward around each other. "Actually-" He was cut off by most of the others voicing their agreement, much to his dismay. Lori, knowing why Lana had suggested this, frowned, only to feel Bobby put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Babe," he told her softly. "Maybe this'll help them get past what happened earlier."

Although she wasn't sure how that was true or even if it would be, she appreciated his optimism, placing a hand on top of his and smiling. "Thanks, Bobby."

It wasn't too long before, after a quick trip into the bodega, they had set up a Capture The Flag-type game, with two makeshift flags either side of the street and a series of barricades made out of snow. Both teams stood in front of their flag, snowballs in hand with a supply made at their feet.

"Ready!" Lynn called out, that same look of passion in her eyes when she did any kind of sport. "Three… two… one… GO!"

With that, the two teams of seven began lobbing snowballs across the street at each other, trying to make their way closer to the opposing flag. Leni would be the first one to get hit by an arching projectile from Carlota. "Sorry, Leni!" She called out.

"Really?" Carl told her, looking with disbelief.

"Like, no worries! It's still fun!" Leni replied, a big smile on her face. The rest of her team all looked at her with deadpanned expressions.

"Really?" Lola told her.

Leni blinked. "What?"

Her sisters groaned, while Leni made her way to the jail. This was just the start of what stretched on for just under a couple of hours, with snowballs flying back and forth as they fought to try and grab the flag. While people were starting to get tired, both teams had won two games each, and Lynn insisted that they couldn't leave it on a tie, so they were back to where they started- both teams either side.

"Alright, this is the last game!" Lori instructed. "You get hit, you're out- no coming back in! First team to retrieve the flag or eliminate the entire opposing team wins! Are we ready?" The response was a mix of energetic and weary "yeah's". "Alright, let's get this over with. Three, two, one, go!"

Straight away, the snowballs were flying again. Leni was the first out again, but she was quickly joined by a few others, and it wasn't long until it was just Lynn up against Ronnie Anne and Lincoln. As the white-haired boy ran to cover, he came face to face with the Santiago girl. The memory of earlier was still there, so he quickly and awkwardly looked away. "So, uh, what's the game plan?" He asked.

"I dunno," she told him, also feeling awkward after what happened earlier. "Just… run forward to distract her, and I'll try and hit her."

"Okay." He waited a moment before running out of cover, dodging fire from Lynn as he rushed forward to the next cover. He bent down behind it and prepared another snowball, ready to pelt at his athletic sister, but as he got up, he moved just in time to dodge another frosty projectile, but this caused him to slip, falling down…

Right onto Ronnie Anne. The two both grunted in pain from the sudden collision and fall, before finally realising they were on top of one another, faces just an inch apart. As Lynn ran past and grabbed the flag, she stopped on the way back and smirked. "Get a room, you two!" She teased, before running back to her base, winning the match for her team.

Realising how awkward this was, Ronnie Anne pushed him off of her, scrambling to her feet and dusting the snow off of her. Lincoln quickly got up and did the same, his red face refusing to look at her. "S-Sorry," he mumbled.

"Forget about it," she muttered, her face equally red, before walking away.

On the sidewalk, Lori and Bobby both saw this and felt greatly disheartened at how upset the two younger kids seemed. "This is getting worse," Bobby sighed.

"I know," Lori told him. "What can we do about it?"

Bobby thought for a moment. "Hey, do you think you could talk with Ronnie Anne?"

Lori blinked, surprised by the suggestion. "Me? Wouldn't it make more sense for her brother to talk to her?"

"I doubt she'd listen to me right now. Besides," he glanced back at Lincoln, who was kicking the snow with his hands in his pockets and his head hung low, "I think Lincoln could use some bro talk."


	9. Ch 9- Bro Talk

Lincoln stood there, a mix of anger and depression concealed in his scowl as he looked down at the now demolished snow pile. His breath was showing in the cold, winter air. He wasn't aware of anything else, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking behind him, he saw the Santiago boy.

"Hey, Link, bro," he said, "you mind giving me a hand? I need to grab some stuff from the bodega, and everyone else has already headed inside."

Looking behind him, Lincoln saw that this was true. "Yeah, sure," he replied with little emotion. Though Bobby was worried by that, he didn't let it show.

"Don't worry, it's just a few things." Bobby led the boy back to the pavement and walked up to the bodega's customer entrance. He pulled the key out of his pocket and put it in the keyhole, unlocking the door. He led the younger boy inside, closing the door to keep the cold out. "I think Abuelo will have left them behind the counter."

Lincoln nodded, walking behind the aforementioned counter. Looking underneath, he saw a couple of brown boxes. "Are these them?"

Bobby walked behind the counter, looking where the white-haired boy was looking. "Yeah,

I think so. Just pull them up and we'll check." Lincoln grabbed one box and placed it next to the register, with Bobby grabbing the other and putting the other next to it. Looking inside, he saw a few packets of napkins. "Okay, these are the napkins. There should be crackers in yours."

"Christmas crackers?" Bobby nodded. When Lincoln opened the box, he saw what he was looking for. "Yeah, they're here. So, we need to take these upstairs?"

"Just a sec, bro. Grab a seat." Lincoln was confused, but grabbed one of the two stools behind the counter and sat down on it, with Bobby sat on the other. "You doing okay, bro? You've seemed a bit… quiet since this morning."

"I'm fine," Lincoln quickly replied.

'Guess I should just get to the point,' Bobby thought. "It's okay, bro. I wouldn't be fine if I was forced to kiss someone like that." Lincoln frowned a bit more, knowing that Bobby had found him out. "Yeah, I could see you were kind of overwhelmed by it."

The eleven-year-old gulped. "Y-Yeah… n-n-n-not that I- I mean, I-I-"

Bobby stopped him by lightly chuckling. "Lincoln, relax. I'm not mad at you, it's okay." He then frowned. "Actually, I need to apologise to you."

Lincoln tilted his head. "What do you mean? You didn't make me kiss her, you didn't shout it out so everyone would come running."

"No, but…" He sighed, bowing his head. "Remember last night, when I said I had a big, romantic gesture for Lori planned? Well, the mistletoe WAS that gesture." He turned to look at Lincoln and couldn't quite tell what his reaction was. "While everyone else was in the living room, I went into my room and grabbed it, and put it up in the hall, but when I tried to show Lori it, you were already there. We were going to try and move you, but…"

"That was when Lola saw us," Lincoln finished, with Bobby giving a small nod. "It's not your fault, it just… happened."

"Yeah, but it shouldn't have. No one should have to kiss someone they don't want to, tradition or not."

"That wasn't… it wasn't even that."

It was Bobby's turn to seem confused. "What do you mean?"

Lincoln looked away from Bobby. "This is the third time that… that me and Ronnie Anne have… kissed." His cheeks flushed lightly as he remembered the other two times. "The first time, it was my sisters who convinced me to, and the second time was… well, you were there for that one." Bobby nodded, as he remembered the occasion vividly. "And each time I've done it, it's been more and more forced, when something like that should be…" He looked down at his hand, which had unconsciously gone over his heart. "It should be something that I… WANT to do…"

Bobby could see that Lincoln was surprised by his words. "Lincoln… I want you to look me." Lincoln turned to face the older boy, who put a hand on his shoulder. "Look in your heart, and tell me- how do you feel about Ronnie Anne?"

Lincoln took a moment to think this through, thinking about how much fun the two of them had the day before, how he felt when he saw her in the outfit Carlota had selected for her, how much he had missed her when she moved away, before suddenly thinking further back to what… no, HOW he felt when they used to hang out back in Royal Woods almost every day. Before he knew what was happening, his mouth started moving for him.

"When you guys first moved out here," he said, "I missed her, more than I could imagine. Even though we talk every few days or so on video chat, there'll be days where I randomly think of her, and I feel happy at the memory, then sad that she's not physically around anymore." He didn't even realise as tears welled up in his eyes. "Even when we've just finished a video call, the happiness I feel at seeing her just… fades." The first tear fell, followed by another, and so on. Bobby's first thought was to comfort him, but he didn't want to interrupt this epiphany the Loud child was having. "And then, yesterday… seeing her again, spending the day with her, just being able to talk and laugh and have fun in person… it felt like before, but… five times stronger. Up until what happened before lunch, I felt like I could fly… and now she probably hates me for what happened." This broke the dam, forcing tears to flood out. Bobby refused to hold back, allowing the white haired child to hug him while he patted his back. "No just the mistletoe, but the snowball fight… all I've done today is make her uncomfortable."

"That's not true!" Bobby argued, forcing the boy to look up at him. "When you gave Ronnie Anne her gift this morning, I've never seen her happier- not since we moved here, not when we lived in Royal Woods, not ever!" His lips curled into a warm smile. "And I can tell it wasn't the gift that made her smile like that, because she had the same smile yesterday when you got back from the arcade. And I KNOW she doesn't hate you for what happened- she's feeling just like you. Embarrassed, and a bit uncomfortable, but she doesn't hate you, and she doesn't blame you either." He reached into one of the boxes, pulling out a napkin. "Here."

"Isn't that for dinner?"

"We'll keep it our secret," he gave a wink as Lincoln took the napkin, "plus I think this is more important." He waited for Lincoln to finish blowing his nose on the napkin, which he then threw in a bin. "Better?" The boy nodded. "Good. And trust me when I say, things will get better. That feeling you have? It's the same feeling I've had for Lori since we started going out."

Lincoln blinked. "You're saying that… I love her?"

"That's something you need to think about, bro. It might mean you like her as a best friend, it might mean you like her more than that, and yeah, it could mean you love her. Just… think about it."

Lincoln, after a moment of contemplation, smiled. "Thanks, Bobby."

"I'd thank Lori more. I wouldn't know half this stuff if it wasn't for her." He then patted Lincoln on the shoulder. "But, yeah, no problem, bro."

* * *

Back in the Casagrande apartment, Ronnie Anne was sat on her bed, the skateboard Lincoln got her laid on her lap, when she heard a knock on her closed door. "Ronnie Anne?" Loti called in. "It's me. Can I come in?"

The latin girl sighed. "Sure, whatever."

She didn't shift her gaze as the eldest of the Loud daughters entered her room. "Your grandma made Christmas cookies," she said, holding out the colourfully iced treats, "thought you might like some."

"Sure." Lori sat down next to Ronnie Anne, who took a cookie in the shape of a Christmas tree and took a small bite from it. "I'm guessing this isn't the only reason you came in here."

"No, you're right. I wanted to see how you were doing. I know it's been a… bit rocky today."

Ronnie simply glared. "A bit rocky? Things were great until everyone made me and Lincoln do that stupid mistletoe kiss! Now, he's too uncomfortable to even look at me, especially after how the snowball fight ended!"

Lori frowned. "It's not like that, Ronnie. First off, me and Bobby didn't try to make you kiss Lincoln… though, that's admittedly because Bobby set the mistletoe up to surprise me."

A scoff came from the younger girl. "Should've guessed."

"But, Lincoln didn't know, and neither did you. He's just worried about how you're taking all this. You know how much he cares about you, and he knows how much you care about him."

Ronnie Anne sighed in response. "I thought I knew." Her hand ran along the smooth surface of the bottom of the skateboard. "Then he goes and gets me this. Something I wanted to get for myself before I found out I was moving here, and he remembered."

Lori noticed a gentleness in her voice, an almost unheard of vulnerability. Lori shuffled towards her, placing her hand against the younger girl's back and beginning to rub it soothingly. "You still have feelings for him, don't you?"

Ronnie Anne didn't even hide it when she looked at the seventeen-year-old. "How did you know I had feelings for him before?"

"Well, when we first got Lincoln to kiss you, we were joking a little about you liking him. But, when you two started hanging out together, it always reminded me of me and Bobby." She received a dubious look from the girl. "Not how you acted, or what you did together, but the way you both looked when you were together. You both had that same look of glee me and Bobby did when we started going out."

After a moment of silent reminiscing, a tender smile appearing on her lips, the fifth grader spoke again. "Me and Link, we were never official, but… I guess we were kinda going out. We weren't romantic or mushy like you two, but we sometimes split a pizza at Gus', or saw a movie together." That same smile faded into a frown. "But, then I moved out here. We agreed to just stay friends, and… for the most part, I was okay with that."

"Until you realised you missed him," Lori suggested, a small nod being the response she received. "I felt the same thing for Bobby, knowing that I couldn't just go out and visit you, or feeling melancholy whenever we finished a call."

"It was more than that. It was seeing those subtle reminders that we were so far apart, like seeing someone I thought was him." She leaned in towards the older girl. "Don't tell Lame-o, but most of the time, it was some short, old dude." They both shared a laugh at this, with Lori taking the opportunity to shuffle closer and pull Ronnie Anne into a side-hug. "Still, those reminders… they kill me a little, just… knowing that it isn't him I see, or that he isn't there." She looked up to the blonde, her eyes showing a soft sadness. "Lori… I don't know how I feel about him, but… I feel like I did before, only more so, and I know that, when you all go back to Royal Woods, it's not going to matter."

She looked down to hide the fact that tears were brimming, allowing Lori to pull her closer and rest her chin on her raven hair. It was both eye opening and heartbreaking to see this girl, who was pretty much another little sister by this point, open up her heart and reveal her true feelings like this. "Ronnie… I don't know what to tell you… except, if this is how you really feel, you need to speak to Lincoln."

"But, why? None of this will matter if we're hours apart!"

"It doesn't have to be that way. It all depends on what the two of you want, and how the two of you really feel."

Ronnie Anne didn't reply to this. Instead, she put the skateboard aside and wrapped her arms around Lori's waist. "How'd you get so good at this?"

Lori smirked. "Sixteen years as a big sister to eleven other siblings, you have a lot of talks like this."

They both chuckled a bit, until the Latina realised something, causing her to remove herself from the hug. "Don't you mean ten other siblings?"

Lori's smile didn't fade. "I might not be married to Bobby… yet," she gave a little giggle at the idea of marrying her boyfriend, "but that doesn't mean you aren't like family to me."

"You mean that?" Lori nodded, prompting her to smirk. "So, you care for me as much as your sisters and Lincoln?"

She laughed dryly. "Almost." She got up from the bed. "I'm gonna see where Bobby is."

With that, she left the Santiago girl's room. When she walked into the living room, she saw her boyfriend placing napkins on the table, while the others were watching TV or enjoying their gifts. Walking up to him, she greeted him by saying, "hey, Boo-Boo Bear."

He turned around with a big smile. "Hey, Babe," he greeted back, kissing her on the cheek, which made her giggle.

"So, were you able to talk with Lincoln?"

"Yeah. Little bro just needed time to think, so he's out on the landing. How's Nie Nie doing?"

"She's opened up."

"That's good." Looking back to the hallway, he saw Ronnie Anne looking in. "Hey, Ronnie Anne."

"Hey, Bobby. Uh, have you seen…" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lincoln's sisters all looking in her direction with teasing grins, causing her to cross her arms and pout. "Oh, for Pete's sake."

"Ignore them, Ronnie Anne," Lori advised. "He's on the landing."

"Thanks."

Once Ronnie Anne had walked away, Lori spotted her sisters getting up from the couch. She frowned and walked in front of them to stop them. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To spy on them! Duh!" Lana answered.

"No you're not! You made them uncomfortable enough, you're not going to make things worse for them." They began to whine and argue with her, until she pulled out her whistle and blew on it. "That's enough! You broke your promise once, you won't do it again! Go back to watching TV!" While complaining, they obliged, sitting back down on the couch, allowing Lori to smile triumphantly as she returned to Bobby. "That's one problem solved."

"Nicely done, Babe!" He complimented. Looking over her shoulder, he saw Carl trying to sneak away. "Hey! Same goes for you, Carlino!"

"Aww, man," he muttered, walking back to continue playing a game with CJ.

"Guess it isn't just my family who likes causing mischief," Lori mused, then sighed. "I guess it's up to them now. I hope they figure this out."

"They will, babe. We just need to trust them." A sly grin then spread across his face. "Now, how about we have a redo of earlier?" She tilted her head, then when he pointed upwards, she looked and saw that he had moved the mistletoe into the living room. Adopting the same grin as her boyfriend, she looked at him, score they began to gently caress their lips together in a tender kiss that made their hearts flutter. When they eventually released, their eyes instantly locked gazes. "Merry Christmas, Lori."

"Merry Christmas, Bobby."


	10. Ch 10- Time To Talk

Lincoln stood there on the landing, his arms resting against the banister. His thoughts were swimming around his head, the talk with Bobby also fresh on his mind. Each time he thought he was going to achieve clarity, doubts would creep in and just confuse him further, which was beginning to give her a headache. He wasn't sure how long he'd been out there, but before he knew it, the door to the apartment had opened, with Ronnie Anne walking out of it. He gulped before greeting her, saying "hey."

"Hey," she replied, making sure to shut the door behind so no one else would come out. "You mind if I join you?"

"No, uh, go ahead."

"Thanks." She walked over to him, standing by the banister, just a couple of inches between their shoulders. For a moment, neither of them spoke, a mixture of doubt and fear preventing them from making the first step. Eventually, Ronnie Anne sighed, having had enough of the silence. "Today's not exactly been great, has it?"

Lincoln frowned. "No, it… it really hasn't." He turned to look at her. "Did Lori tell you about the mistletoe?"

"If you mean that it was Bobby's idea to surprise Lori, then yeah. Can't say it surprises me, just… didn't go to plan."

"No, I… I guess not." Lincoln scratched the back of his neck, starting to feel the doubts from before returning. "It was… awkward, wasn't it?"

"Yeah…" She turned her head slightly in his direction. "No offence."

"None taken. It was more the fact that everyone was… just their, you know? Trapping us in, urging us to do it, your aunt taking that photo."

"I know, right?! I mean, what did they have to gain from all that? They could tell we weren't comfortable like that, yet they still treated it like the event of the century, or something!"

"Exactly!" After a moment, a small smile graced his lips, his cheeks turning ever so slightly pink. "Although, despite that and what happened in the snowball fight- sorry about that, by the way," she shook her head and raised her hand to let him know it was okay. "Despite all that… this has probably been the best couple of days in my life."

She blinked, unsure she had heard him right. "Uh… would you mind saying that again?"

"These past two days have been… amazing, to say the least. I've always loved Christmas, but… I've never felt such energy for it as I have. Before the mistletoe, I felt like I was in ecstasy- being around you and your family, hanging out at the arcade, sharing Christmas together…" He looked back at Ronnie Anne, who was listening intently while mildly shocked. "It's been unbelievable."

She looked down slightly, her own cheeks starting to tint as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Wow… to be honest… I've had a similar feeling." Lincoln felt his heart jump a little when she said this, intrigued to hear what she meant as she looked back up at him. "I know that it's been a huge change, now I'm living with my extended family, not to mention sharing it with your family… but it's just been something I can't describe. It's like… okay, I know you don't skateboard that much, but it's like when you go off the top of a halfpipe, and you're just floating in the air for a moment, and even though you have to go back down, that feeling of adrenaline and weightlessness stays with you."

Lincoln's smile grew. "That's not a bad analogy, actually." His cheeks heated up a little more. "And… I hope you don't mind me saying this, but… I think that I feel this way because of you."

Her heart skipped a beat, her hope beginning to rise. "Really?"

He nodded. "Don't get me wrong, your family are awesome, but… when you left Royal Woods, there would be times where I think of you, and just feel… so confusingly upset that you weren't still there. It was always bittersweet whenever we had a video call, because it was great to see you and… hear your voice, but it reminded me that I couldn't just go and visit you whenever, and that it's my main way of communicating with you now."

She couldn't believe it- she was hearing just what she was hoping she would hear, and from the one person she wanted to hear it from. This didn't stop her from smirking at him and telling him, "I've never heard you be more mushy, Lame-o," which made them both chuckle. "Though, I gotta admit…" She rubbed her left arm with her right hand, ducking her head but looking up at him. "That's pretty much how I feel about you too."

Though his smile was replaced with a look of shock, he felt a lightness in his heart. "You… you do?"

He could tell she was nervous by her gentle nod, and he knew that this was because she was used to showing her tougher exterior rather than breaking down the walls, but he appreciated being the one she broke the walls for. "I know it sounds lame, but… I miss when we would hang out, just the two of us. You were the one person that, when it was just us, I didn't have to be what everyone else saw- the heartless bully, who only had fun when she was pulling pranks on someone. No one else in Royal Woods cared that I liked video games, or skateboarding." She leaned against the banister again. "While I'm glad there are people in the city like my friends, who I can share that with…" She turned her head in his direction. "But they never cared like you did."

He smiled, placing his hand on top of hers on the banister, causing her to catch her breath at the contact and shift her gaze to meet his. "You made me care by opening up to me. The more I got to know you, the you that I see, the more that I wanted to know more about you."

"You're such a dork," she said, though it was mixed in with giggles that made his heart flutter. "That's probably what I like most about you. You're fun and… c-cute," both their blushes shot up significantly at this, "and… had I not left Royal Woods, I might have considered asking you if we could be… official, you know?"

His smile just seemed to grow. "I would have liked that. The truth is, even after all this time, I still really like you. Even though we live so far apart, I still kind of want to be with you."

"I do too," her smile started to droop worriedly, "but… I'm scared."

He grew concerned at hearing this. "Of what?"

"Of changing things too much… changing in a way that things don't work out for us, and that things become awkward for us, to the point that everything we have now, everything we had before… is all for nothing."

"It doesn't have to be that way. I know that Bobby and Lori might be older, and they might be going to college together, but that doesn't mean it can't work for us too. And if nothing else, I would never, EVER want to lose you as a friend… but I can't deny that I want this to work, and that that desire is outweighing my fear."

She laughed dryly. "I just wish I could be that certain." She looked away. "But I'm not, Lincoln. You go back home tomorrow. It's easy to say this stuff, but… how can I be certain it won't be just words?"

He thought for a second, then steeled up as he placed his hand against her cheek, using his other to hold her hand in front of him so she looked into his eyes. "Because… Ronalda Analena Santiago… I love you."

Just as she prepared to respond, he pressed his lips against hers, causing her eyes to widen in shock. Except, this time, it was different. It wasn't like the time she punched him for doing so; it wasn't like he was just doing it to apologise; and it certainly didn't feel forced like the kiss from earlier that same day. No, this time, she felt it was so much more genuine from what she felt- comfort; passion; tenderness; and most importantly, love. She eased in to the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck so she could return the favour, and the two fifth-graders were in their own world. Their families could have come bursting out, squealing and cheering and taking pictures, and they wouldn't have noticed. The whole world could have come crumbling down around them, and it would be lost on them. All that mattered was what they felt- physically, emotionally and spiritually- then and there in that moment.

The kiss couldn't last forever, as they released to regain their breathing, their chests rising and falling slowly and deeply in sync, as were their heartbeats. Their eyes were locked on each other's, smiles painted on their faces, and they held that embrace. "I love you, Ronnie Anne."

"I love you too, Lincoln." She took the opportunity to nuzzle her nose with his, something they would be mocked endlessly if they did it in front of the others. "God, when did we become so mushy and lame?"

"I don't think it's lame."

She lightly, jokingly slapped his chest. "You would say that, Lame-O." This brought out warm laughter from the pair of them. "Should we head back inside?"

"It's probably for the best. The longer we stay out here, the more likely my sisters are to try and come out here."

"I'll be surprised if they aren't on the other side of the door." She put her hand on the door handle, opening it quickly, and widened her eyes at the sight of an empty hallway. "Huh. I'm surprised." Lincoln chuckled, rolling his eyes, before he felt her take his hand. "Come on, Lame-O. We can relax in my room before dinner's ready."

He simply allowed her to lead her towards the room at the end of the hall. As they passed the living room, Lori caught a glimpse of them holding hands and resisted the urge to yip out of joy for them. 'I'm so proud of you, Linky,' she thought to herself.

* * *

Come five o'clock, it was time for the big Christmas feast- everyone was sat around the makeshift dining table, chatting happily to each other as they awaited the food. Sure, the table was already set, with everyone having cutlery and plates in front of them, as well as glasses for their drinks (white wine for the adults, water and fruit punch for the kids), and there were already plates and bowls filled with pigs in blankets, Brussels sprouts, roast potatoes, carrots and sweetcorn, tamales, and much more, spread across the table, but there were three empty spaces of considerable size, which were the reason that no one had been filling their plates yet.

"Okay, everyone!" Lynn Sr announced as he, Rosa and Frida brought in three platters, which they placed in the three available spaces. "Dinner is ready!"

Everyone cheered, happy that they would be able to eat. "Wait a minute!" Rosa called out, silencing the cheers. "Before we eat, we must pray." There were a few moans, mainly from the kids of the Loud, but their parents looking sternly at them stopped this. Everyone linked hands, shut their eyes and bowed their heads. "Father, we thank you. Not just for this plentiful, bountiful feast that we are about to enjoy, but for bringing us together in harmony. We thank you for keeping us healthy and safe, and for keeping us on the right path. We thank you for everything you do for us, and we hope that we can do right under your watch. Amen." As a chorus of "amen" came from all sides of the table, they parted hands. "Now, what would a Christmas feast be without…" She grabbed the lid from the platter nearest her, Lynn Sr and Frida grabbing the other two. "The turkey!" Everyone gasped as the lids were removed, watching in awe as they unveiled three beautifully cooked turkeys, the skins a perfect golden brown. "Dig in!"

With that, the three of them began carving the turkeys, piling them onto everyone's plates as they began passing the different food items around to those who desired them. As soon as everyone got what they wanted (and, in many cases, the vegetables that they didn't want, but their parents made sure they got), they began to eat. The food was of such high quality that, despite how much had been eaten in previous meals, they eagerly dug in to the meal.

Bobby, grabbing a spoonful of mashed potato, turned to Lori. Seeing what he had planned straight away, she smirked, grabbing a spoonful of her own. They linked their arms together, then fed each other the fluffy food, both giggling as they did so. Ronnie Anne gave a small laugh. "It's weird," she said to Lincoln, thankful that everyone else was either too enamoured in their eating or talking loudly enough to not notice or care, "I always thought they were just being overly mushy when they did stuff like that. Looking at it now, I can kinda see why it's romantic."

"Yeah," he replied, "it does suit them. So, uh," he looked at her, "should we do that?" After a moment of quietly looking at each other, they smirked and both went "Nah!"

They both chuckled. "Hey, could you pass me another of the pigs in blankets?"

"Sure. Think you could pass me another tamale?"

"Sure."

As they did so, Lori and Bobby glanced at them, having noticed them watching their 'shared eating' but pretending not to have, then smiled to each other. "It's so sweet," she commented. "It's definitely not like what we have, but it's perfect for them at this stage."

"I wouldn't say it's so different, babe," Bobby suggested. "From what they told us, it sounds like it's the same- maybe not in how they show it, but definitely in the way they feel it."

"Wow… I never knew you were so good with words, Boo Boo Bear."

He blushed a little. "All thanks to you, babe." She giggled, before he raised his glass. "Cheers."

She reciprocated. "Cheers." With that, they clinked their glasses and took a small drink from them, then returned to indulging in the festive meal.


	11. Ch 11- Boxing Day

**(A/N: and here we are, the final chapter! Once again, it overwhelms me how supportive you guys have been, so I just want to thank you all for reading, reviewing, favouriting and following this story, along with all my other stories.**

 **Now, here's my current plan for the immediate future- I'm going to be getting through my requests, since some have been waiting for a while. These consist of three TLH one-shots and a multi-chapter Lion Guard piece. At the same time, I need to complete my assignments for University, which may hinder my progress, but once all of those are done,** **I will be uploading the poll winner I mentioned at the start of chapter one, Lincoln Gets Limber. Fortunately, I got a few chapters done before I started this, so I should be able to upload at a regular pace and not get too caught up in my next semester, but I can't promise it.**

 **That's all I wanted to say, so for the last time this year, thanks for reading, and enjoy!)**

After a solid hour, everyone was stuffed to the brim. On top of the mahoosive main course, they each had their share from the selection of desserts available, whether it be a creamy chocolate gateau, a juicy pineapple upside down cake, or a sweet, sweet helping of apple pie, each with a delicious scoop of ice cream. When Luan had asked why there wasn't any Christmas pudding as well, Rosa explained it was due to Carlos having allergies to the dried fruit. Of course, Luan had to make a pun, saying "well, I'm sure he apricots you deciding not to make any. Otherwise, we could currant-ly be headed to the hospital." This, of course, led to her laughing and everyone else groaning. Nonetheless, everyone was sat at the table, trying to keep out of a food coma.

"Best… Christmas dinner… ever," Lincoln was able to utter, using his napkin to wipe sweat off his forehead. There was a little punch left in his glass, so he used it to wash down the food, then turned to Ronnie Anne. "So, do we just sleep here tonight? Because I don't think I could move."

She chuckled, finding his attempt at a joke to be quite amusing. "I thought Luan was meant to the comedian?" She jested back. "Though, I do agree. I'm stuffed!"

Maria glanced at her watch, then looked across the table. "Everyone! Dream Boat is on in five minutes!"

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne looked at each other. "Race you to the couch!" They said at the same time, forgetting their full stomachs and getting up from their seats, just like everyone else. The two fifth-graders were on the side of the table closer to the couch, so they were quick to grab the best spots. The adults were slower in moving across, which meant the kids quickly filled the available seats, those that didn't sitting in the floor. Everyone else just moved the chairs from the dining table into a suitable spot, while Lalo laid down next to Lana, who petted the large dog, and Sergio perched himself on Rosa's chair.

"Carl, you know not to take your abuelo's chair!" Frida scolded. "Vámonos!"

Carl grunted as he obliged, sitting down on the floor in front it. "Lola, you too," Rita warned. "Let Rosa have her chair."

"Fine," Lola said, moving off the chair so the elderly lady could take a seat, and sat down next to the boy in the red hoodie, causing a couple of smirks from her sisters.

"Looks like you two are pretty close," Luna teased, causing giggles from the other Loud girls.

"Yeah, Lola," Lana added, "any closer and you two would be the third couple between these two families."

Lola and Carl both blushed slightly from the embarrassment. "No chance!" Carl quickly refuted. "I'm not about to be mushy with some princess girl." He quickly turned and added, "no offence."

"None taken," she replied, then turned to her siblings. "Yeah, I don't see myself dating Carl either! A, he's not my type, and B, we have enough with Bobby and Lori, and Linky and Ronnie Anne!"

Lincoln shook his head while smirking. "I knew you guys were going to make a joke sooner or later," he told the girls. "Why does the two of us being close always make you do this?"

"Because you're so cute together!" Leni innocently replied. "You literally look like, like, the perfect couple!"

"I think that's overdoing it, Leni," Ronnie Anne replied. "Still, I'm surprised you went so light on the teasing today. Especially given what happened."

"That's because Lincoln made us promise not to," Lucy explained. "So that we didn't make you uncomfortable. Plus, Lori made us."

Both fifth-graders looked at the blonde teen, surprised at the revelation. "Really?"

"When you made us promise, I could see how much it meant to you," Lori explained, draping her arm around Bobby, who placed his over her shoulder. "It showed how serious you were about your friendship, and I didn't want to see you two upset by something ruining it."

"Well, thanks, Lori," Ronnie Anne told her with a smile, then turned to Lincoln. "And thanks for thinking of me, Lame-O."

"No worries." He then turned to his eldest sister. "And thanks, Lori. I appreciate it… though, how come you joined in the teasing when you first found out me and Ronnie Anne were hanging out?"

She smirked. "I don't remember you abstaining from teasing me when I first met Bobby!"

A series of laughs came from everyone in the room, until Frida pointed out, "it's starting!"

Everyone quietened down as the opening credits for Dream Boat began to play. "If Kelly's smart, she'll pick Bam," Ronnie Anne said to the white-haired boy. "That skater dude is perfect for her.

Lincoln raised an eyebrow. "I thought you hated this show?" He replied, to which she shrugged.

"It grew on me."

He shrugged, satisfied by the response. "Yeah, Bam's okay. Just hope she doesn't pick Blaine. When will he learn socks don't go with sandals?!"

She smirked at his reasoning. "You spend too much time with your sisters, Lame-O."

He smirked. "Yeah, well, they're the best sisters I could ask for. Besides, all that time with them saved my life once." She did a double take, staring at him in shock, causing him to chuckle nervously. "Did I not tell you about that?" She silently shook her head at him. "Well, what happened was-"

"Share your stories later! Be quiet while the rest of us watch!" Lisa scolded, causing the fifth-graders to roll their eyes and oblige to the four-year-old PhD's request. What ensued for the next hour was the two families sitting and watching the reality show, occasionally arguing over who they thought was going to be chosen as First Mate. As was usually the case, everyone was on the edge of their seats by the end, as the contestants were all gathered on deck. Rather than a rose, Kelly- the girl who the contestants were attempting to court- held a Christmas present.

"Well," the on-screen woman said, "it's taken a lot of thought. You've all been so sweet in your own way, so it's difficult to compare you."

"Get to the point already!" Rosa complained, a couple of chuckles coming from the two families.

"But… in the end, I can only have one First Mate. So, I've decided that I want my first mate to be…" The camera panned across the different contestants to add tension, before she walked forward, stopping in front of a man with long, brown hair, wearing a plaid shirt over a white tee with a peace logo, khaki shorts, a red beanie and sneakers with white socks. She extended the present to him, causing him to look shocked. "Bam."

Most of the Louds, Casagrande's and Santiago's moaned at the decision, with only Ronnie Anne cheering. "Oh, yeah!" She boasted, pumping her fist in the air. "Told you Bam was the one for her!"

"But, he wasn't nearly romantic enough!" Leni argued, clearly upset by the outcome.

"Exactly! He didn't push it too hard, and she wasn't overwhelmed by him!"

"Taking notes, Stinkoln?" Lynn Jr joked, prompting her and her sisters to laugh, even Lori failing to resist. This just caused Lincoln and Ronnie Anne to roll their eyes.

"That promise went right out the window, didn't it?" He asked, sarcastically.

"Oh, come on, Lincoln!" Luan told the boy. "You've got to admit, that was a good one!"

Lincoln didn't want to, but he couldn't help but smirk. "Alright, it was kind of funny."

"Besides," Lola chimed, "It was you two who were under the mistletoe!"

"Now, that's not fair. I mean, we haven't made fun of you and Carl or forced you to kiss him, yet you've been under the mistletoe for an hour!"

"WHAT!"

As Lincoln had hoped, both her and Carl looked straight up, which made him grin like a Cheshire Cat. "Gotcha!"

Once they realised they had been duped, Lola and Carl crosses their arms and pouted, blushing furiously as everyone laughed.

* * *

An hour and a half later, everyone was watching another Christmas film, with mugs of hot cocoa, topped with cream, cinnamon and marshmallows having been finished quickly. Many of the younger ones had fallen asleep due to a combination of the time and the cocoa lulling them to rest. The film was nearing its end, maybe another five to ten minutes to go, when Lincoln felt a weight rest on his shoulder. Turning, he saw that Ronnie Anne has decided to snuggle up next to him. His cheeks heated up, knowing that they weren't alone, but he didn't feel like complaining, instead feeling… comfortable with her next to him.

"You okay?" He whispered to her.

She nodded. "Yeah, just a bit cold," she admitted.

"Well then…" He wrapped his arm around her so he could pull her closer. She blushed at the gesture, but didn't resist taking the opportunity to wrap her arms around him, resting her head against his chest. "Better?"

"Y-Yeah…" She let out a quiet yawn, causing him to quietly chuckle. "S-Sorry… forgot Abuela's cocoa makes me… sleepy…"

When she didn't say anything, he looked down and noticed that she was now asleep, a content smile on her face, her chest rising and falling slowly with each breath. Her rhythmic breathing made him smile, bringing his other arm around her to hold her close. He rested his chin on her head, feeling his own tiredness lure him to sleep. "Goodnight, Ronnie Anne," he whispered, before shutting his own eyes, just as the credits began to roll on screen.

"I always love this movie," Frida commented, wiping away a tear as she turned to Carlos. "We watched this the first time we spent Christmas together."

"Twenty-six years ago today," Carlos clarified. "I believe that was the first time you met my parents as well."

"It was!" Hector spoke up. "When we first heard about you, we were uncertain, but you proved us wrong."

"And we've been glad to have you in our family," Rosa added. "You've brought our son such happiness, and given us four beautiful grandchildren. Honestly, we couldn't have asked for a better daughter-in-law,"

"Don't forget about me," Maria joked, resulting in mild laughter from those still awake.

"Well," Rita spoke, standing from her seat, "this has been great, but it's time we went to bed."

"Of course," Rosa agreed. "Let's get the young ones to bed."

As everyone got up, grabbing their mugs and either waking or lifting those who were asleep, Lori gasped upon seeing Lincoln and Ronnie Anne. "Everyone, be quiet!" She said in a hushed tone. "Look."

Upon seeing the two kids happily asleep together, everyone smiled, the girls having to resist squealing at the cuteness of the sight. "I knew they liked each other," Lynn Jr sighed.

"They look totes adorbs!" Leni gushed, cupping her hands together.

"Should we wake them up?" Carlota asked.

"No way, bruh!" Luna argued. "We should just let them dream, dream, dream!"

"But, honey, they can't be comfortable like that," Rita pointed out.

Lori gave it a moment of thought. "Leave it to me."

"Are you sure, Lori?" The blonde high school senior nodded to her mother. "Alright, honey." She turned to the rest of her children. "The rest of you, brush your teeth and head to bed."

No one argued with her, slowly walking away and carrying those who were too tired. Once they were gone, Lori turned to Bobby. "Could you grab a blanket and a pillow for them?"

"Sure, Babe," he told her, then walked away. While he was gone, she gently took hold of the two kids' legs and lifted them up, removing their shoes before sliding them onto the couch. When Bobby returned, he fluffed the cushion before placing it on the couch, then helped Lori to lower Lincoln's head onto it. "Shouldn't we get one for Ronnie Anne too?"

"I think Lincoln is her cushion," she commented, causing him to chuckle. She couldn't help but sigh at the sight, leaning in to brush Lincoln's hair. "They are literally adorable right now."

"They do look pretty content right now." He wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder. "Plus, I know that little bro will keep Nie Nie safe tonight."

"So true." She turned to Bobby. "Do you mind if I tuck them in?"

"Not at all." He handed her the blanket, then kissed her on the cheek, allowing her to reciprocate. "Sweet dreams, Babe."

"Sweet dreams, Boo Boo Bear." He removed his arm from around her and began to head to bed, while Lori took the blanket and placed it over the two sleeping eleven-year-olds, tucking them in. She kissed her brother and his girlfriend on the cheek. "Sweet dreams, you two."

* * *

So, the two were left to sleep on the couch. When the morning came around, they were among the first to wake up. Lincoln's eyes fluttered open, and he was initially surprised to find that he was on the couch, but his attention was quickly drawn to the weight of the girl sleeping on his chest. His cheeks heated up, but he still smiled, surprisingly enamoured by the situation.

'She looks so… peaceful,' he thought to himself, lifting his hand up to brush her hair. 'It's a shame that I'm heading back to Royal Woods today… I'm really enjoying being around her again, and now that we're… sort of official… I wish I could spend more time with her like this.' He lightly shook his head. 'Still, we aren't going to let that stop us. I love her, and she loves me. That's what matters, and that's why we can make this work.'

He stayed there for a while, still as can be other than stroking her hair, until he heard the Santiago girl begin to stir. She moved her hand to rub her eyes, then froze slightly upon feeling Lincoln's chest. Looking up, she groggily said, "Lincoln?"

"Yeah?" He asked.

Her cheeks were roasting. "Were we… like this the whole night?"

"I think so." Though she was slightly embarrassed, she smiled, snuggling up to his chest, causing him to chuckle. "You're in an odd mood this morning."

"Shut up, Lame-O. I'm not going to be able to do this for a while, I wanna enjoy this while I can."

"That's fair. Though, uh…" His blush turned bright red. "I have to pee." She burst out laughing at this, which didn't help his embarrassment. "I'll be right back."

She allowed him to get up, wiping away the tears in her eyes while he went to the bathroom. He was gone for about five minutes before he returned, seeing her smirking at him. "I hope you washed your hands once you were done."

"Yes, your majesty," he grumbled as he sat down next to her.

"Don't be like that." She noticed he was pouting, then rolled her eyes. "Look, I didn't mean to embarrass you, okay? But, come on, that was kinda funny." He didn't respond, causing her to sigh. "I'm sorry, okay?"

He looked at her and gave a smile. "It's okay," he told her, patting on her knee. "I know you didn't mean anything by it." She smiled back, before a thought made that smile drop. "What?"

"Link… I know we said we'd make this work, but… how do we do that?"

He tilted his head at her. "What do you mean?"

"Well… once you go back, how much will things really change? All we can really do is video chat."

"That's not true." It was her turn to tilt her head at him. "First of all, I'm gonna visit when I can. I meant what I said about not being able to just go round and visit you, so I'm going to make sure I do when I can."

She smiled. "Really?"

"Of course, I am. Plus, Clyde got me into this new MMORPG, and we could always have a virtual date on there- it's surprisingly expansive."

She laughed heartily. "Sounds dorky, but alright. Send me a link later and I'll check it out." She shuffled up to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thanks, Lincoln."

"You're welcome."

* * *

Soon enough, it was time to leave. Everyone had gotten dressed and shared a hearty breakfast, before the Louds gathered up their gifts and their luggage, took it downstairs and put it in Vanzilla.

"Drive safe now, you hear?" Maria asked.

"No worries!" Lynn Sr replied. "We'll be careful!"

"And don't forget, you are welcome anytime!" Hector added.

"And same to you, Hector!"

"Alright, everyone, back inside!" Rosa instructed to her family. "We don't want to catch the cold."

So, the Casagrande's and the Santiago's headed inside, leaving the Louds to climb into Vanzilla. As Lincoln grabbed the door, he looked back at the building behind him, then turned to his family. "Hey, dad, I think I left something," he explained. "I'll go and get it, it's really important."

"Alright, champ, but be quick. We don't want to be caught in traffic."

Lincoln nodded, then ran into the building. Once the door was shut, he ran up the stairs. "Ronnie Anne!"

Upstairs, the Santiago girl heard his call and turned around, seeing the white-haired boy panting as he approached her. "Lame-O, what are you doing?" She asked.

"I, uh… I forgot something."

She looked skeptical at him. "You forgot something?"

"Well, actually, I forgot to give you something." Before she could even respond, he pressed his lips against hers, and they once again melted into the kiss. It wasn't quite as intense as their kiss the day before, but just as genuine and love-filled. When he released the kiss, they both bashfully smiled at each other. "I, uh… just wanted to kiss you before I go."

She giggled, feeling her cheeks burning up. "I'm glad you did, Lame-O."

"Me too. It was… I-I-I mean, it was… i-i-it was-"

She stopped him by pressing a finger against his lips. "Lincoln… your family are going to drive off if you don't leave now." She lowered the finger. "Don't worry, I'll video chat with you later."

He nodded. "Okay. I'll, uh… talk to you later."

"Talk to you later." She watched as he walked back down the stairs, then walked up to the door to her family's apartment, but stopped and faced the viewer. "You know, had someone told me my Christmas would go like it did, I'd think they were crazy… but, I've gotta admit, I wouldn't have had it go any other way. Sure, I'm probably going to be teased for the foreseeable future, and so will Lincoln, but now that we're official, I guess I can live with that." She opened the door and walked in, turning back to say "happy holidays, everybody," before the door closed.

 **THE END**


End file.
